BSc Speech and Language Therapy / Course details

This course unit runs across the second year of study. It will build on understanding of typical phonetics, voice, and fluency introduced in year one and apply that knowledge to clinical data from children and adults from monolingual and bilingual backgrounds.  

The content will include:

• IPA phonetic transcription of a range of service users with Speech Sound Disorder (SSD).
• Consideration and analysis of the segmental and suprasegmental changes in children’s and adults’ disordered speech.
• How typical voice function compares with disordered voice (Frequency or pitch, Amplitude or loudness, turbulence and noise). Presentations from experienced professionals on how they use clinical phonetics in their clinical and research work. 

The unit aims to:

• Provide students with opportunities to develop skills in describing and accurately transcribing clinical, or disordered speech data using symbols and diacritics the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and Extended IPA (exIPA) charts.
• To be aware of the needs of children with complex articulation disorders such as those arising from Cleft Lip and Palate.
• To record, analyse and understand the causes of voice disorder and contrast with typical voice production.
• To understand disorders of speech fluency, including the complex psycho-social impact of stammering on the individual.
• Provide students with opportunities to develop their ability to analyse, describe and evaluate clinical speech data.
• Demonstrate to students the relevance of clinical phonetics, voice and fluency to their future professional practice. 

The teaching and learning processes for the clinical phonetics component will include varied opportunities for transcribing single word and short excerpts of connected speech from children and adults with a speech sound disorder, where available. These will be provided in tutor-led group sessions, and via independent learning using online materials. Students are advised that producing sounds and words, receiving feedback on how a sound or word is produced, and learning how to demonstrate sounds clinically for children and young people with SSD and are best achieved without a face covering.

The teaching and learning processes for the clinical linguistics component will include tutor-led interactive lectures, facilitated group-work, expert presentations/discussion and online learning. Online quizzes are provided for students to gauge their own understanding, and students are encouraged to use an online resource such as Padlet for queries. 

• Use appropriate terminology to describe phonetic, phonological and suprasegmental changes and difficulties in people with Speech Sound Disorder.
• Identify the relevant aspects of speech to analyse and will be familiar with currently available audio recording and analysis techniques.
• Identify the typical ranges of pitch and loudness for vocal production, and how to identify suspected vocal pathology.
• Describe stammering behaviours in relation to speech production.
• Understand development of fluency in children, and factors which may disrupt this.  
• Understand stammering in relation to identity and self.
• Apply their knowledge and understanding of the literature to clinical data and understand the potential contribution of clinical phonetics to their professional role. 

• Interpret and critically appraise original clinical phonetics and spoken speech data.  
• Integrate information from research literature and data analyses to come to principled clinical conclusions.
• Critically evaluate the content of published SSD assessments and interpret them in relation to clinical practice, e.g., Differentiate a screening assessment from a comprehensive diagnostic assessment. 

• Use the library to access original research papers.  
• Make an accurate (broad) phonemic transcriptions of target words and target utterances, including:
  • recognition of the differences between written (orthographic) forms and actual spoken forms, such as ‘sp-’ words realised as /sb-/.
  • Identification of rapid speech efficiencies, including assimilation across word boundaries.
  • Identification and transcription of suprasegmental aspects of speech including
  • primary word stress
  • utterance intonation and identification of the nucleus
• Make accurate and detailed (close) phonetic transcriptions of service users with different developmental Speech Sound Disorder (SSD). SSD may include:
  • Articulation Disorder, (distortions, and/or articulation disorder with phonological implications) and/or
  • Phonological Delay
  • Consistent Phonological Disorder
  • Inconsistent Phonological Disorder
• Analyse phonation aspects of speech (vocal function).
• Analyse fluency and consider the continuum of fluency and contrast this with perceptions of service users who identify as stammerer.
• Familiarise themselves with, understand, and interpret the speech errors in terms of articulation distortions, articulation with phonological implications, and phonological disorders (Phonological Delay, Consistent Phonological Disorder and Inconsistent Phonological Disorder) from published, standardised speech assessments. 

• Independently gather, sift, synthesise and organise material from published literature and data analyses.  
• Evaluate and integrate evidence from a variety of sources to come to a considered clinical description commensurate with their level of professional experience.
• Report clinical data and the results of their analyses clearly and accurately, adapting as appropriate for their target audience.

Cohort level feedback will be provided following the examinations identifying strengths and areas for improvement for students.

Feedback will provide guidance to students regarding their knowledge and understanding of the subject matter as it relates to future course units.

Students will receive group written feedback. This feedback will provide guidance to students on their phonetic transcription for their summative examination and for future assessments.

Throughout the unit, students will have the opportunity to self-evaluate their work, skills and understanding against online model answers to quizzes, peer group discussions and tutor comments (Padlet).  

CLINICAL PHONETICS

• Ball, M., Perkins, M., Muller, N., & Howard, S. (2009). The Handbook of Clinical Linguistics. Wiley
• Child Speech Network (2017). Good Practice Guidelines for transcription of children’s speech samples in Clinical Practice and Research. London: Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.
• Tench, P. (2011). Transcribing the sound of English: a phonetics workbook for words and discourse. 
  Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

VOICE

• Harris, T. & Howard, D.M. (2018) The Voice Clinic Handbook 2nd edition Oxford: Compton publishing
• Sapienza, C. & Hoffman-Ruddy, B. (2009) Voice Disorders San Diego: Plural publishing

FLUENCY

• Zebrowski, P. M., Anderson, J. D., & Conture, E. G. (2022). Stuttering and Related Disorders of Fluency. (4th ed.). Thieme Medical Publishers, Incorporated.