• Proceedings of the KSPS conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.109-112
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• 2006

This study investigated the acoustical characteristics of phonatory offset-onset mechanisms. And this study shows the comparative results between non-stutterers (N=3) and a stutterer (N=1). Phonatory offset-onset means a laryngeal articulatory in the connected speech. In the phonetic context V_V), pattern 0(there is no changes) appeared in all subjects, and pattern 4(this indicate the trace of glottal fry and closure in spectrogram)was only in a Stutterer. In high vowels(/i/, /u/), pattern 3 and 4 appeared only in a stutterer. Although there is no common pattern among the non-stutterers, individual's preference pattern was founded. This study offers the key to an understanding of physiological movement on a block of stutter.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.227-236
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• 2005

For the exact assessment and diagnosis of stuttering, not only speech disfluency but also the attitude of stuttering has to be considered. However, clinical researches and studies about stuttering have tend to center around disfluency. Relatively little attention was paid to the communication attitude of stuttering. In this paper, we will attempt to investigate that the Modified Erickson Scale of Communication Attitudes(S-24) is available in Korean stutterer. The S-24 was administrated to 27 adults with stuttering and 27 normal adults. Based on the item analysis of S-24, 4 items which have the low item discrimination coefficient and are little difference between stutterer group and normal group were excepted from the scale. To test validity of the reconstructed communication attitude scale, we estimated a internal consistency and carried out correlation analyses and discrimination analyses. We found that the reconstructed scale had a high internal consistency(a = .8701), was consisted six components(explanatory power = 66.59% of total variation), correlated with the PSI at .439 and with the SESAS at -.527, and correctly classified between stutterers and normal adults at 92.6%. Consequently, the reconstructed communication attitude scale is a useful scale to assess stutterer's communication attitude in Korea.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.19-33
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• 2006

The purpose of this paper was to examine acoustical characteristics of phonatory offset-onset mechanism in the connected speech of female adults with stuttering and normal nonfluency. The phonatory offset-onset mechanism refers to the laryngeal articulatory gestures. Those gestures are required to mark word boundaries in phonetic contexts of the connected speech. This mechanism included 7 patterns based on the speech spectrogram. This study showed the acoustic features in the connected speech in the production of female adults with stuttering (n=1) and normal nonfluency (n=3). Speech tokens in V_V, V_H, and V_S contexts were selected for the analysis. Speech samples were recorded by Sound Forge, and the spectrographic analysis was conducted using Praat. Results revealed a stuttering (with a type of block) female exhibited more laryngealization gestures in the V_V context. Laryngealization gesture was more characterized by a complete glottal stop or glottal fry both in V_H and in V_S contexts. The results were discussed from theoretical and clinical perspectives.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.189-197
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• 2008

In the process of speech therapy, fluency is acquired and speech rate increases in the process when the behavioral modification strategy, inducing speech fluency by making speech rate slower intentionally in an early stage, is applied. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the pause characteristics in slowed speech intentionally of treated stutterer. In this study, 10 developmental stutterers who had well established fluency in speech were involved. We had collected each 200 syllables sample of intentionally much slowed speech and a little slowed one in reading task. To measure the features of pause, total frequency of pauses, total durations of pauses, average duration of pauses and proportions of pause were investigated. The findings were as follows: Both the total durations and total frequency of pauses of much slowed speech were higher than that of a little slowed one. However, both the average duration and proportions of pauses of much slowed speech were not significantly higher than that of a little slowed one.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.415-422
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• 2005

Using stretch sensors, a stuttering treatment training device that improve the abnormal breathing of stutterer was designed and developed. To improve stutterer's inadequate breathing method that is one of principal reason of stammering, the device estimates breathing method by checking the changes of the stretch sensor's resistances those are put on the chest and abdomen of user. And a vocal exercise program that carry out exercises only when the user maintains the abdominal breathing was designed. Using a PIC16C711 device that includes an A/D convertor, a main controller was designed and the vocal exercises software was developed using Director and C program with graphic user interface for user convenience. The controller sends the resistance data of sensors to PC through the serial port and the software verifies the breathing method. And the device was designed that the RTS (request to send) pin of serial port in PC is used as a power source so that it can work without any battery or other power source. Three stutterers have carried out the clinical experiments using the implemented device for two months and the results showed it was excellent to alleviate the stuttering.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.55-64
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• 2007

Laryngeal DDK involve with the rate, pattern, and regularity (periodicity) in opening and closing of vocal fold. This study was aimed at investigating the characteristics of laryngeal DDK between nonfluent and fluent speakers. One with an ataxic dysarthria (with cerebellar lesion) and the other with stuttering, and 13 normal speakers were evaluated. L-DDK were analyzed with MSP (motor speech profile, CSL 4400). Measures of DDK included: DDKavr, DDKcvp, DDKjit, DDKavp. An ataxic dysarthric speaker and a stutterer showed more reduced rate and aperiodic L-DDK (both adductory and abductory movement) than normal speakers. But the average L-DDK period (ms) in adductory movement in a speaker with stuttering showed more decreased than the other. Results from this study are preliminary. Nonetheless, results of L-DDK produced by nonfluent speakers suggested the possibility to have relation with slow rate of phonatory initiation and connected speech. In the future, perceptual studies are needed in conjuction with acoustic and speech production.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.159-173
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to use fiber-optic nasolaryngoscope to find out differences in laryngeal behavior between persons who stutter(PS) and those who do not stutter(NS) upon their utterance. To meet the goal above, this study took 5 NS and 5 PS respectively as a part of sampling, so that they were all asked to join an experiment hereof. As a result, this study came to the following findings: First, there was not any significant difference in laryngeal behavior of uttering spoken languages between stuttering group and control. Second, there were some differences in laryngeal behavior of repetition and prolongation, which were a sort of disfluency revealed in the utterance of nonfluent spoken languages between stuttering group and control. Third, as reported by prior studies, it was found that there were differences in laryngeal abehavior of stutterer group's nonfluent spoken languages depending upon stuttering types. In this study, a variety of laryngeal behavior unreported in prior studies could be found. In addition, it was notable that stutterers showed different laryngeal behavior depending on their personal stuttering types. On block condition, Subject 1 showed laryngeal behavior of fAB, INT and fAD; Subject 2 showed laryngeal behavior of fAB, fAD and rAD; Subject 3 showed laryngeal behavior of fAD and rAD; Subject 4 showed only laryngeal behavior of fAD; and Subejct 5 showed laryngeal behavior of fAB, fAD and rAD. Summing up, these findings imply that when stutterers utter nonfluent words, they may reveal a variety of laryngeal behavior depending on their personal stuttering types. Moreover, it is found that there are more or less differences in the utterance of nonfluent spoken languages between NS and stuttering ones. In particular, it is interesting that one common trait of nonfluent spoken languages uttered by PS is evidently excessive laryngeal stress, no matter which type of stuttering they reveal.