Analysis of deaf speakers' breath stream dynamics during speech production

Abstract

Computer simulations have been used to characterize and better understand the articulatory behavior of normal [M. Rothenberg, Biblio. Phon. (1968); E. Muller and S. Brown, Speech Lang. (1980)] and disordered [V. Gracco and E. Muller, ASHA 13 (1981)] speakers. In the present work, details of a computer simulation of breath stream dynamics of speech produced by deaf speakers will be presented. Oral airflow, oral air pressure, nasal airflow, electroglottograph, and acoustic data were acquired from both deaf and normal speakers during production of intervocalic bilabial plosives. Measures from these data were used to establish input parameters for simulation of both the deaf and normal-hearing speakers' utterances. Among the parameters manipulated in the model were: airflow resistance at the articulatory constriction, nasal tract resistance, vocal tract enlargement, and glottal resistance. Pressure and flow outputs from both the simulations and speakers were compared. Advantages and limitations of the use of computer models to understand speech production processes of disordered speakers will be discussed. [Work supported by the Whitaker Foundation.]