An iPad Speech Assessment for English and Spanish Speakers

Mary Bauman, M.S., CCC-SLP Barbara Fernandes, M.S., CCC-SLP

TSHA Annual Convention March 8-10, 2012 San Antonio, Texas

Disclaimer
Vendor presentation

The iPad is a registered mark of Apple, Inc. Presenters do not have any financial interest in promoting the device. The Bilingual Articulation Phonology Assessment is a registered mark of Smarty Ears and authors of this presentation have a direct financial relation with the product presented.

Technology in Assessment
The iPad

All about the iPad presentation: Friday

About the Presenters

Mary Bauman, M.S., CCC-SLP Barbara Fernandes, M.S, CCC-SLP

Practicing bilingual speechlanguage pathologist with Bilinguistics Areas of focus in speech sound disorders in English and Spanish

Founder & CEO of Smarty Ears GeekSLP.com Developed over 35 apps for the iPad & iPhone for speech and language development

Origin of the BAPA

Our team wanted to create an assessment tool that: could be used with monolingual (English or Spanish) and bilingual (Spanish-English) speakers provides multiple opportunities to assess sounds in each position reduces the time required to analyze results and makes the assessment process time efficient

Interaction Between Languages

Interactional Dual Systems Model of phonological representation suggests that bilingual children possess two separate phonological systems with mutual influence. These systems are separate, yet non-autonomous.

L1 L2

L1

L2
(Paradis, 2001)

Assessment of Two Languages

Due to the interaction of the two languages within a childs phonological system, speech production abilities should be tested and compared across both languages. Testing in one language, even the language the child uses the most, may not yield the most accurate and reliable results. Combining children's best performance across domains is promising for improving assessment practices for bilingual children. (Pea & Bedore, 2011)

Computer vs. Paper-Based Tools

Possibility of a Test Mode Effect No significant differences in performance found for children ages 7-8 between computer-based testing (CBT) and paper-based testing (PBT) (Sim & Horton,
2005) Children also showed a preference for computerbased assessments

Existing Spanish Assessments

SAM
Primary Use Norma5ve Sample Produc5on of Spanish consonants and phonological processes Spanish-speaking children Ages 3;0 +

CPAC-S
Screener/comprehensive assessment to gauge ar5culatory and Spanish-speaking children phonological performance from the U.S., Mexico, and Puerto Rico Criterion Referenced Ages 3;0 to 8:11 Norma5ve data published on 9/15/09 15-20 minutes

SPAT
To examine the produc5on of Spanish phonemes in single words. Hispanic children from Oregon Ages ranged 2;6 to 5;5 Norm-based 5-10 minutes

Criterion Referenced Norm-based or Criterion Referenced Administra5on Time 15 minutes

Efficiency Gains
How can the BAPA help us with assessment? Performs time-consuming calculations and analysis Provides a more in-depth look at speech errors in less time Generates report template to save time

Differentiating Between Articulation & Phonology

Articulation Disorder difficulty producing specific age-expected sounds; error in the motor movements of sound production
e.g., omission, distortions, substitutions

Phonological process disorder patterns of error related to underlying difficulty with rules of a languages sound system
e.g., weak syllable deletion, stopping, fronting, assimilation

(ASHA, 2008)

Differentiating Between Articulation & Phonology

The BAPA codes both articulation and phonological errors to allow the SLP to appropriately identify the profile of the child Greater efficacy found in treatments that differentiate between articulation and phonological errors
(Holm, Ozanne, & Dodd, 1997)
Speech

Articulation

Phonology

Other

App Development
Considerations in the development of the BAPA: Frequency of occurrence of words in each language Picturability of target words Selection of culturally-appropriate items Phonological differences between Spanish and English Regional differences of words (in both Spanish and English) Minimum of 2 targets of each frequentlyoccurring sound in all positions

Word Selection
Words chosen from familiar categories, such as objects in the home, clothing, body parts, & animals Target words selected based on how easily pictures could be identified, particularly for young children Stimulus pictures were field tested across various age groups of children with different cultural backgrounds and modified to find stimuli that produced the highest rates of correct identification

Culturally Appropriate
Consideration given to exclude items that may be less familiar or unfamiliar to children who are culturally and linguistically diverse Word targets selected from common categories familiar to multiple cultures as much as possible

Phonological Differences Between Languages

Consonant blends and sequences in Spanish Other assessment tools dont address reduction of consonant sequences /n/ - Final consonant of syllable or consonant sequence?

paNTalones

paTalones

Regional Differences
Stimulus Pictures: Eliminated words with various labels due to regional or dialectal differences Analysis: Report will address Spanish dialectal differences, such as Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban Spanish

Targets In All Positions

Phonemes assessed in all positions
Initial, medial, final Consonant clusters (blends) as well as consonant sequences Spanish: /n/
nariz conejo pan chancla llorando

Targets In All Positions

In English we distinguished between medial (intervocalic) consonants and medial consonants within a consonant sequence
English: /n/
neck dinosaur Kitchen blanket plant

Multiple Opportunities for Phonemes Targeted

Many current tools assess each phoneme in each position one time Have observed contextual/assimilatory errors that can misrepresent childs actual error type Greater number of opportunities to produce each target increases accuracy of error analysis

More Opportunities and Quick Administration

Doesnt doubling the number of opportunities increase the number of words targeted and administration time?

No Wasted Real Estate

The BAPA uses every opportunity to assess a phoneme, which reduces the total number of target words needed Accounts for all errors made within words /bl/ cluster /k/ medial /s/ final

bloques

Intelligibility Rating

Speech intelligibility is considered one of the main manifestations in subjects with acquired or developmental speech disturbances.
(Barreto, Ortiz, 2008)

Lets See How It Works!

Questions?

Find out more online

References
Barreto, S. & Ortiz, K. (2008). Intelligibility measurements in speech disorders: a critical review of the literature. Pr-Fono R. Atual. Cient. 20(3): 201206. Retreived from http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php? pid=s010456872008000300011&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en#back1 Holm, A., Ozanne, A., Dodd, B. (1997). Efficacy of intervention for a bilingual child making articulation and phonological errors. International Journal of Bilingualism, 1(1), 55-69. Fernandes, Barbara (2011). iTherapy: The revolution of mobile devices within the field of speech therapy. Perspectives. School-Based issues. Pea, E.D. & Bedore, L.M. (2011). It takes two: Improving assessment accuracy in bilingual children. ASHA Leader. Retreived from http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2011/111101/ItTakes- Two-Improving-Assessment-Accuracy-in-Bilingual-Children/

References (cont.)
Secord, W. (2007). Eliciting Sounds. Florence, KY: Thomson Delmar Learning. Sim, G. & Horton, M. (2005). Performance and Attitude of Children in Computer Based Versus Paper Based Testing. In P. Kommers & G. Richards (Eds.),Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2005(pp. 3610-3614). Chesapeake, VA: AACE. Skelton, S. (2004). Motor-skill learning approach to the treatment of speech-sound disorders. CSHA Magazine, Summer, 8-9. Yavas, M. & Goldstein, B. (1998). Phonological assessment and treatment of bilingual speakers. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 7(2) 49-60.

If you want to play with the app, visit the Smarty Ears booth at the Exhibit Hall.

Thank you!