Volume : 11, Issue : 8, AUG 2025

CHILDREN WITH INTELLECTUAL DEFICIT: VOICE QUALITY AND SPEECH INTELLIGIBILITY

DR. GAURAV TOMAR, MS. SONIA NARANG

Abstract

Introduction: The relation between voice quality and its effect on the speech intelligibility of children with Intellectual Deficit (CID) is rarely studied. In this study we measured and compared voice characteristics of CID and normally developing children (NDC). We also compared speech intelligibility of CID with best voice characteristic (all voice parameter within normal range) and NDC.  Part 1: Voice characteristics of CID vs NDC. Methods: 10 CID and 10 NDC aged between 7 and 12 years participated in this study. Dr Speech was used to measure the various characteristics of voice. Participants were asked to sit comfortably on chair and phonate /a/, /i/ and /u/ in front of a very sensitive microphone connected to the Dr Speech software. Fundamental frequency (Fo), jitter, shimmer and harmonic to noise ratio (HNR) values were recorded in all the participants. All the measurements were done in a sound treated room. Results and Discussion: Results indicated significant differences in the two groups in terms of Fo, jitter, shimmer and HNR for all the sound i.e. /a/, /i/ and /u/. CID group had higher Fo in comparison to NDC group. Jitter, shimmer and HNR values were lower in CID group when compared to NDC group. Part 2: Speech intelligibility of CID and NDC. Methods: Recording-20 monosyllabic words were recorded from 1 child with intellectual deficit (with all the voice parameter close to normal range) and 1 normal developing child. Standard recorder CENIX and speaker Philips SBC BP15 were used for recording. Participants-10 normal hearing adults aged between 18 and 30 years. Procedure-Speech Intelligibility Score (SIS) was measured in all the participants for the two recorded speech samples i.e. from child with intellectual deficit and normal developing child. The speech sample was presented to the participants through a laptop routed via an audiometer in order to keep the intensity level constant. The presentation level used was 50 dB HL. Results and Discussion: There was a significant difference in SIS obtained from the two speech samples. This point towards the poor speech intelligibility of speech recorded from children with intellectual deficit. General Conclusion-The results of the two studies highlight a significant relation between the voice characteristics and speech intelligibility.

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IESRJ

International Educational Scientific Research Journal

E-ISSN: 2455-295X

International Indexed Journal | Multi-Disciplinary Refereed Research Journal

ISSN: 2455-295X

Peer-Reviewed Journal - Equivalent to UGC Approved Journal

Peer-Reviewed Journal

Article No : 22

Number of Downloads : 5

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