Auditory feedback perturbation in children with developmental speech sound disorders

Several studies indicate a close relation between production symptoms and perceptual acuity in
children with speech sound disorders (SSD). An important underlying factor here might be a
reduced capacity to use auditory feedback. However, the mechanisms behind this relation are still
poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability to compensate and adapt
for perturbed auditory feedback in children with SSD compared to age-matched normally
developing children (age 4-8) to unravel the role of auditory feedback in the manifestation of SSD.
15 normally developing children aged 4.1-8.7 years (mean=5.5, SD=1.4), and 11 children with
SSD aged 3.9-7.5 years (mean=5.1, SD=1.0) participated in the study. Auditory feedback was
perturbed by real-time shifting the first and second formant of the vowel /e/ during the production
of CVC words in a five-step paradigm (familiarization; baseline; ramp; hold; release).
Preliminary results indicate a larger proportion of subjects responding to perturbation in children
with SSD compared to the control group. However, in general the normally developing children
showing a response were better able to compensate and adapt, adjusting their formant
frequencies in the direction opposite to the perturbation where the majority of the children with
SSD followed (amplifying) the perturbation.