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UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY BEHIND STUTTERING

November 3, 2022 Published by: admin





Article by Amy Cherry

Photos by Ashley Barnas
July 27, 2022


UD RESEARCHERS STUDY THE BRAINS OF CHILDREN WITH PERSISTENT STUTTERING TO
DETERMINE WHAT HINDERS RECOVERY

When Evan Usler was just 6 years old, he knew his stuttering would persist into
adulthood. He was among the one in 10 children who develop a stutter at a young
age. Most children who stutter recover regardless of therapy or
intervention. Usler was among the 20% who did not recover.  

“When I was a child, there was this notion of ‘let’s just wait and see.’ The
pediatrician and speech-language pathologist were limited in the information
they had, and they thought I would recover,” Usler said. “I knew then, I’m not
recovering from this. This is a problem. It was one of the first times as a
child when you realize older adults may not know what’s best for you.”

Now,  Communication Sciences and Disorders Assistant Professor Ho Ming Chow has
been awarded a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services to investigate the differentiating characteristics in the brains of
kids whose stuttering persists later in life. He’s teamed up with Usler, also an
assistant professor in the CSCD Department who will serve as a co-investigator,
on this five-year research project. 

“In one study, we found one part of the brain is atypical in people who stutter,
but another study had completely different findings. So that’s why we suspect
that even in the brains of people who stutter, there are multiple causes in the
brain revealing why the presentation of the disorder varies in different
people,” Chow said.   

Using structural and functional MRI (FMRI) and electroencephalogram (EEG), the
researchers in the College of Health Sciences aim to determine what prevents
some children from recovering on their own. Their findings could impact
therapies in children who stutter and improve outcomes. 

Stuttering disfluencies take on three identifiable behaviors: repetitions at the
beginning of words, prolongations of words, or a silent block, in which it’s
evident a person is trying to say something, but the words just aren’t there. 

“We may think it’s a normal part of speech-language development that children
produce these stuttering disfluencies, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.
In as much as 10% of these children, they’re developing these atypical
stuttering-like disfluencies,” Usler said.

As more research examines brain activation during speech production and
disfluent speech, Usler said there’s been mixed findings.

“There doesn’t seem to be a brain signature associated with a specific type of
disfluency. If someone repeats words, we don’t see a distinguishing
characteristic in the FMRI,” Usler said. “In the past, we’ve just looked at
behavior and tried to categorize it that way, but that only gets us so far. By
looking at the brain, we’re looking at more potential subtle subtypes that may
not be evident on the behavior level.” 

UD is teaming up with the University of Michigan to enhance data collection for
the study which will begin after the school year starts in late September or
early October. 

“We have access to the largest neuroimaging data set in the world so we can do
this type of research,” Chow said. “We have sufficient preliminary data to show
there’s a possibility that there are different subgroups in children who
stutter.” 

For now, study participants will include children who stutter between the ages
of 6 to 13 years old, but researchers may lower the age range to include
children ages 3 to 5 years old to account for stuttering onset. 

“If we want to understand why some children recover from stuttering and why some
children have persistent stuttering, we must start with a younger age group so
we can follow them for a number of years,” Chow said. 

Studies have shown young boys, who are lagging most in speech language and motor
development, have an increased risk of stuttering persisting into adulthood.
Family history and genetics are also factors in stuttering persistence. 

But brain structure and function are believed to be at the core of the speech
disorder. In a past genetics study, Chow said brain imaging showed an
abnormality in the subcortical areas and the corpus callosum, which connects the
left and right sides of the brain, permitting communication. 

“We don’t know exactly why that affects speech, but if the corpus callosum is
related to stuttering, we can decide different therapies to enhance the
connection between the left and right hemispheres of the brain,” Chow said.

Another portion of the brain that may be tied to stuttering includes the basal
ganglia which plays a critical role in motor learning, behavior, and emotion.  

Their findings will help speech-language pathologists best allocate limited
resources and ultimately impact treatment for children who stutter. 

“Once we confirm the neural subtypes associated with stuttering based on the
atypicality in each subtype, we can determine the most effective therapies for
children who stutter,” Chow said. “Depending on what kind of behavior
characteristics and anatomical structures are associated with each subtype of
stuttering, we can design different therapies.” 

While this five-year research grant focuses on children whose stuttering
persists, UD is in a unique position to study the complex human social behavior
on various levels.

“Stuttering involves genetics, neurology, psychology, and individual labs may
focus on one of those levels,”Usler said. “At UD, we can look across those
different levels by examining gene mutations in animal models, neuroimaging of
young children, and behavior and EEG activity to determine how cognition and
motivation in real-time during various speaking tasks may affect whether one has
a moment of stuttering or how severe the stutter may be.”

Determining specific neural subtypes associated with how stuttering manifests in
each child, Usler said, will lead to better clinical decisions at UD’s
Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic and beyond. 

“What if we find neural risk factors of stuttering severity that in the future
gives us some idea which children are not likely to recover on their own?” Ulcer
said. “Perhaps that’s a subpopulation that should receive speech therapy
resources as soon as possible.”

UD’s goal is to become a leading center for stuttering research with the
assistance of the UD community and local Delawareans. If you’re a person who
stutters and would like to assist researchers with this project or desire more
information, please contact stutteringproject@udel.edu. 

 



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GDPR SUPPORT

November 3, 2022 Published by: admin





AJC – Logo – Main

JN with Tagline

logo-sns_tag_Site



Our apologies, unfortunately our website is currently unavailable in most
European countries due
to GDPR rules.







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CHILDREN’S SPECIALIZED OUTPATIENT CENTER – MONMOUTH

November 3, 2022 Published by: admin





Our new outpatient center offers convenient access to our specialized services
to the kids and families of Monmouth County. From physical, occupational and
speech therapy to developmental and behavioral services, this state-of-the-art
facility will offer a wide variety of specialized pediatric care you won’t find
anywhere else in the area.


PHYSICIAN/MEDICAL SERVICES

Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics evaluates and counsels children and
families with a wide range of developmental conditions including: developmental
delays, including language, fine, or gross motor challenges; developmental
disabilities like Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), intellectual disability, and
cerebral palsy; learning disabilities; externalizing disorders such as ADHD and
Oppositional Defiant Disorder; Tics, Tourette syndrome, and other habit
disorders; and, challenges with activities of daily living, including feeding,
complicated toilet-training (enuresis and encopresis) and sleep. Although
children may already receive services through Early Intervention or their public
school district, school-based evaluations typically do not make medical
diagnoses such as autism or ADHD – these diagnoses usually require evaluation by
a medical provider, such as a developmental pediatrician.


THERAPY SERVICES

Audiology services provide comprehensive diagnostic evaluations for routine
diagnostic, behavioral, and conventional audiometry as well as non-behavioral
audiometric tests and auditory processing evaluations for children.

Occupational Therapy promotes functional independence for a child who is dealing
with the effects of disease, injury, birth anomalies, disability, or
developmental problems.

Physical Therapy helps patients reach their full potential by minimizing
impairments while promoting mobility and function for participation in their
home and community.

Psychology services can assist children with behavioral difficulties, panic
disorders, social skill deficits, peer and sibling problems, trauma, abuse,
adjustment problems, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders. Comprehensive
assessments, including psycho-diagnostic evaluations, educational evaluations,
and clinical assessments are done to clarify a child’s diagnosis.

Speech & Language Therapy evaluates a child’s ability to talk, speak clearly,
communicate with others, understand common words, follow directions, eat and
drink. They provide age-appropriate activities to improve speech, communication,
and feeding skills, and are adept at encouraging and motivating patients to
reach their goals.

Learn more about Children’s Specialized Hospital programs and services.





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NO LONG COVID DRUGS YET, BUT OTHER TREATMENTS AVAILABLE

November 3, 2022 Published by: admin





Allison Saulino, 46, long COVID advocate, Hilliard, OH.

David Putrino, PhD, director of rehabilitation innovation, Mount Sinai Health
System, New York City.

Andrew Schamess, MD, professor of internal medicine, Ohio State Wexner Medical
Center, who runs the Post-COVID Recovery Program.

Daniel Sterman, MD, director, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep
Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York City.

Jennifer Frontera, MD, neurologist, NYU Langone Health.

Journal of Neurological Science: “Mid and Long-Term Neurological and
Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis.”

American Academy of Otolaryngology: “Smell Retraining Therapy.”

PLOS Pathogens: “SARS-CoV-2-Specific T-Cells Associate with Inflammation and
Reduced Lung Function in Pulmonary Post-Acute Sequalae of SARS-CoV-2.”

Science Translational Medicine: ”SARS-CoV-2 Infection Produces Chronic Pulmonary
Epithelial and Immune Cell Dysfunction with Fibrosis in Mice.”

Rheumatic & Musculoskeletal Diseases: “Fibromyalgia: a New Facet of the
Post-COVID-19 Syndrome Spectrum? Results From A Web-Based Survey.”

Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis: “Persistent Endotheliopathy in the
Pathogenesis of Long COVID Syndrome.”

International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology: “Budesonide Irrigation with
Olfactory Training Improves Outcomes Compared with Olfactory Training Alone in
Patients with Olfactory Loss.”

Oregon Health & Science University: “Clinical Guidelines: Long COVID-19.”



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OAK PARK LIBRARY CELEBRATES DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH

November 2, 2022 Published by: admin




Inside the children’s section at the main Oak Park Public Library, by the front
desk, there hangs a giant chart, each box depicting words like “can” or “but,”
symbols to indicate direction, or a stick figure eating, pointing or reaching
for a red box to show “want.” The colorful life-size poster is meant to
encourage the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) among
families with disabled members, staff and other patrons, if an electronic device
is not handy. The poster’s pictures are often featured as a program or app on a
tablet, laptop or cellphone to help people unable to rely on speech to
communicate.  

“The most important thing is you want to be able to communicate wherever you
are,” said Shelley Harris, a children’s librarian, about the large poster. “And
sometimes you don’t have your tablet with you.”

The poster is just one of the ways the public library works to provide access
for disabled Oak Park residents, an effort that adheres to a larger mission of
creating a space “for everyone.” On one of the glass walls of the Idea Box, a
makeshift museum space near the library’s main entrance at 834 Lake St., Harris
showed smaller AAC posters in Chinese, Dutch, Spanish and Arabic. In the center
of the display, there was the Communication Bill of Rights, which outlines
disabled people’s rights to refuse, make choices, to be informed and express
their preferences.

> We are here to support them. We want to include them. It goes past ‘you’re
> welcome here.’ It goes into ‘we want you here.’
> 
> Shelley harris, librarian

Those images were all part of an exhibit Harris created for Disability Pride
Month, which is celebrated every July to commemorate the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). Signed into law on July 26, 1990, the act prohibits
discrimination against people with disabilities. Chicago held its annual
Disability Pride Parade just last weekend.

Harris, who studied speech therapy, told Wednesday Journal she’s “big” on the
Communication Bill of Rights because it promotes support.

“A lot of times when kids are learning an AAC device for the first time,
therapists are like, ‘OK, do you want a sandwich? Yes or no?’ And you practice
saying ‘yes’ or ‘no,’” she said. “How much fun is that? Is that what you want to
talk about?”

The bill acts as a reminder that disabled people are still people. Harris added
the bill says, “I need real choices. I need to be able to say ‘no.’ I need to be
able to be with my peers. I need to know all these different things that are
just so important to be part of the community.”

For Harris, the bill remains top of mind, as she and her colleagues alike try to
offer more programs and resources at the library for disabled residents and
their families and create a safe, welcoming place. This type of work is personal
for Harris, who made it a goal to cultivate a place where her family would be
comfortable to come to. Harris’ younger brother has Rubeinstein-Taybi syndrome,
a rare genetic disease that causes developmental delays. Inside their home,
there are AAC posters displayed in the kitchen, the bedrooms, the bathroom –
even on fridge magnets and embroidered on pillows.

“You can embroider a glow-in-the-dark [one]. It’s so fun,” she said. “Because if
it’s [the AAC tablet] charging, and he has something to say when he wakes up at
3 in the morning, he needs to be able to talk immediately.

“It’s important to me to have language everywhere so that people can always
communicate what they want to.”

On another wall of the Idea Box, Harris turned to a poster about “identity-first
language,” which places a person’s diagnosis up front. An example of that is
when an individual says, “I am autistic” or “I am deaf,” she said. Harris told
Wednesday Journal this language has evolved, as in years prior, the disabled
community turned to “people-first language.” That meant saying something like
“people with disabilities,” she added.

“It’s always shifting,” Harris said. “It’s very personal, like every identity
is. So, the best thing you can do is just ask a person: ‘What are you
comfortable with me saying?’”

On another wall, Harris spoke about how disabled people are portrayed in books
and the need for readers, parents and children alike, to be critical and spark a
conversation. There are some popular books that feature disabled characters as
helpless, a “burden” and that the characters’ friends or family are “saviors,”
she said. Over the years, Harris said she’s compiled a list of questions to help
families analyze those texts and pick apart the messages, giving them the chance
to talk. She’s also beefed up the book selections to include more disabled
authors.

Beyond that, Harris said the library continues to look into putting up more
items for disabled patrons to use. Cardholders can check out an iPad that has
seven different AAC apps or Braille books, either ones that have been published
in Braille or ones with Braille translations. Readers can also use scanner pens
to scan the text and hear the words aloud. The library also has Ubi-Duo, a
communication system for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

       “We are here to support them,” Harris said. “We want to include them. It
goes past ‘you’re welcome here.’ It goes into ‘we want you here.’”





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GREAT SPEECH JOINS SESAME’S DIRECT-TO-PATIENT PLATFORM, EXPANDS ACCESS AND REACH
OF VIRTUAL SPEECH THERAPY SERVICES

November 2, 2022 Published by: admin





HOLLYWOOD, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Great Speech, a pioneer and leader in virtual
speech therapy, is pleased to announce its partnership with Sesame, the company
building a radically new healthcare system for uninsured and underserved
Americans by directly connecting them to high quality physicians at half the
price, to further reach patients in need of virtual speech therapy services.
This collaborative partnership enables Great Speech to bring its programs and
solutions to a greater percentage of the 46 million people who struggle with
communication disorders, including children who suffer academic and social
barriers due to childhood speech delay, stuttering as well as adults with
aphasia as a result of stroke, Dementia, Alzheimer’s, head and neck cancer or a
Traumatic Brain Injury.

> “Every day, our licensed speech therapists are helping patients communicate
> better and feel more confident,” says Avivit Ben-Aharon, M.S.Ed., M.A. CCC
> SLP, Founder and Clinical Director, Great Speech. “We are proud to partner
> with Sesame to reach a greater number of patients with accessibility to speech
> therapy.”
> 
> “We are happy to have Great Speech join our platform to fill a need for
> virtual speech therapy that is both patient-friendly and cost-effective,” said
> Chase Knight, vice president of partnerships at Sesame. “Two in five Americans
> report skipping or delaying care due to cost. That’s just not acceptable.
> Through our partnership with Great Speech, speech therapy is now accessible
> and affordable for so many Americans across the country.”
> 
> Speech therapy sessions with Great Speech’s network of speech and language
> pathologists on Sesame are available to members of all ages with communication
> needs. To book an appointment, visit https://sesamecare.com.
> 
> About Great Speech Inc.
> 
> Great Speech is the pioneer and recognized leader in virtual speech therapy,
> and since 2014 has delivered convenient, specialized services to clients
> anytime, anywhere. Its innovative approach leverages technology to match
> credentialed therapists with children, adults and seniors who need and seek
> better speech communication. Proud recipient of the Women’s Business
> Enterprise National Council (WBENC) certification. www.greatspeech.com
> 
> About Sesame
> 
> Sesame is building a radically new healthcare system for Americans who are
> uninsured or otherwise priced out of everyday care. The Company’s marketplace
> replaces historically inefficient, expensive healthcare with a direct
> connection – either virtually or in-person – between patients and physicians.
> This direct connection enables Sesame to offer doctor visits, labs, imaging
> and prescription drugs at half the price. Founders include a Harvard Ph.D. in
> health policy and economics; a former Goldman Sachs analyst; and entertainment
> executive and healthcare reformer David Goldhill, author of the legendary
> cover story in The Atlantic, “How American Health Care Killed My Father.”
> Sesame has raised $75 million so far from investors that include GV, Virgin
> Group and General Catalyst. The Company was ranked #1 by Healthline for
> overall care in 2021 and 2022.For more info, visit https://sesamecare.com/.



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HEALTH-CARE UNION MEMBERS VOTE TO ACCEPT TENTATIVE WAGE DEAL WITH ALBERTA HEALTH
SERVICES

November 2, 2022 Published by: admin





A tentative agreement between the Health Sciences Association of Alberta and
Alberta Health Services was passed by 85 per cent of members who voted on the
four-year deal.

The agreement, which runs from April 1 to March 31, 2024, gives the 20,000
members who work for AHS a 4.25 per cent increase over four years.

The pay raises breakdown to a one per cent increase retroactive to October 2021,
1.25 per cent on Sept. 1, 2022 and two per cent on April 1, 2023.

The agreement falls short of the wage increases the HSAA bargaining committee
was asking for: 2.6 per cent the first year, 4.2 per cent the second year, 4.7
per cent in the third year and around 3.7 per cent in the fourth year. 

The  union represent s ambulance paramedics, respiratory therapists, social
workers, speech language pathologists and other  health-care workers.

AHS negotiators had been asking for wage rollbacks – as much as 11 per cent for
pharmacy technicians and social workers and eight per cent for respiratory
therapists. 

The union said speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, health
information management workers, therapy assistants, diagnostic sonographers,
pharmacists, physiotherapists, dieticians and advanced care paramedics had faced
potential salary rollbacks ranging from nearly nine per cent to 0.28 per cent.

HSAA president Mike Parker says the deal falls short of what is required for
members to deal with inflationary pressures. 

“It does not reflect the current economy in this country. It does not reflect
the sacrifices our members have given to this province,” he said.

“But in the end our membership has chosen to focus on the task at hand, that’s
taking care of Albertans.”

The tentative deal was reached at the end of June following a recommendation
from a mediator. 

The AHS board still needs to approve the agreement, which is expected at its
board meeting on Thursday. 

Neither the health authority nor the government will comment until then.



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BORDENTOWN TEEN CREATES PLATFORM TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN WITH HIDDEN
DISABILITIES

November 2, 2022 Published by: admin





BORDENTOWN – Elina Csapo, a rising junior at The Hun School of Princeton, wants
children with “hidden disabilities” to know that they are not alone.

The Bordentown Township resident is embarking on a new venture called “Young
Able Voices,” a peer-to-peer support group that will provide a safe place for
children with hidden disabilities to interact with each other on the similar
challenges they face.

Starting Aug. 1, these children will have the opportunity to connect with one
another once a week through Zoom to talk about different topics and the
challenges their disability has brought them during those situations.



“This is an opportunity for me to create a place for them to connect with others
going through a similar situation,” Elina said.

On the Young Able Voices website, Elina has uploaded videos of herself talking
about the different topics she is looking forward to discussing with other
children and teenagers.



Elina, who was diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) when she was
around three years old, is hoping her new platform will help inspire others with
hidden disabilities to not let their disorder stop them from achieving their
dreams and living a normal life.

She has overcome her speech of sound disorder in the classroom.

Elina said her hard work in speech therapy over the years has helped her conduct
public speaking tasks in school with few issues. Those tasks range from giving
presentations in class to delivering speeches at other school functions.

When she was in eighth grade at Bordentown Regional Middle School, Elina was
recognized by the school with the “Thank You Address Writer and Presenter” honor
and gave a speech at her eighth-grade graduation ceremony.

“If you keep working hard, you can have a bright future,” Elina said. “I didn’t
want to limit myself. I wanted to be able to speak in front of people. I wanted
to be Elina.”

Along with her mother Krista, Elina has used social media platforms like
Facebook to promote Young Able Voices. Elina’s speech therapist has also spread
the word of her initiative to fellow patients and colleagues.

So far, Elina said she has gotten a lot of great feedback from people about her
initiative. People as far away as Iceland and New Zealand have commented on her
videos.

On the local front, Elina is hoping to expand her peer-to-peer support group to
in-person meetings with other children and teenagers in the surrounding
communities.

She hopes to bring Young Able Voices to different school districts around the
area as she works on the second phase of her operation.

“I would love to go into local schools and get a chance to talk with kids that
have speech disabilities there,” she said.

The first session of Young Able Voices will center around the word “define,” and
how children with hidden disabilities are trying not to let their disorder
“define” what they can do and who they become.

Elina said she is looking forward to hearing other children’s journeys and can’t
wait to see where the discussion leads to.

For more information on Young Able Voices, visit the organization’s website
https://www.youngablevoices.com or its Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/youngablevoices.



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TYPE OF EARLY-ONSET DEMENTIA NOW MORE DETECTIBLE

November 1, 2022 Published by: admin





Newswise — With the recent announcement of Bruce Willis’ retirement due
to aphasia, this spectrum of disorders has received increasing attention in the
news and media – including a rare type of dementia known as primary progressive
aphasia (PPA).

PPAs are rare, incurable, younger-onset dementias that primarily affect speech
and language and occur in people between the ages of 50-70. They are complicated
by the fact that there are three subtypes, each with distinct patterns of brain
atrophy or shrinkage, brain pathologies, and prognoses. One common theme across
all PPA variants is that they are difficult to diagnose in their early stages,
leading to costly doctor visits and delayed treatments and care services.

A new, free, online, clinician-administered tool developed by researchers and
clinicians at the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre could greatly
increase the likelihood of early PPA detection.

An explanation of the tool is published in Brain Communications. 

Drawing on a commonly used cognitive screening test, the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive
Examination-III (ACE-III), Dr David Foxe led the development of the ACE-III PPA
diagnostic calculator.

Based on patient data from the University’s FRONTIER Research Group (dementia
research), to which Dr Foxe belongs, and created in collaboration with the
University’s School of Mathematics and Statistics, it can predict a PPA
diagnosis with a sensitivity rate of 70 to 80 percent.

This means with patients suspected to have PPA, the tool is able to
differentiate the PPA variants between 70 and 80 percent of the time.

It would have been of great benefit to Jane Dean and her husband Stephen Dean, a
FRONTIER research participant who was only diagnosed with PPA by FRONTIER after
almost two years of doctor visits and tests. 

“Arriving at a diagnosis of PPA was arduous and stressful,” Mrs Dean said.

Being from Tumut, a town near Canberra at the foothills of the Snowy Mountains,
made things more difficult, as the couple had to travel as far as Albury Wodonga
and Sydney to seek specialist help.

“In a remote location like ours, it’s hard to feel supported. You’re isolated,”
she said.

“Diagnosing the PPA variants is difficult as the language profiles are often
complex, overlapping or difficult to detect for inexperienced clinicians,” Dr
Foxe said. 

“However, it’s really important that PPA patients receive the correct diagnosis
as this will ensure that they receive the right treatment. I hope my tool will
improve the clinical assessment of PPA, especially in rural and primary health
settings where dementia clinics are few and far between, and ultimately improve
the lives of people living with this incurable disease.” 

Yet Dr Foxe cautioned that the tool should only be used when a person is
suspected to have PPA and that a clinician should read the associated paper
before administering it. 

About primary progressive aphasia

Over 30,000 Australians live with younger-onset dementia and about a quarter
are diagnosed with PPA. 

The three subtypes of PPA are logopenic (difficulty speaking and finding the
right words), non-fluent (difficulty articulating words) and semantic
(comprehension loss).

Over time, other cognitive and functional abilities deteriorate, resulting in
death approximately 7-12 years from diagnosis. PPA generally presents before the
age of 65 years, significantly impacting family, vocational, social and
community roles. 

It is caused by an abnormal build-up of proteins in the brain (especially near
the language structures), resulting in a slow, progressive loss of brain cells. 

There is currently no cure for PPA but researchers at the University of Sydney
are investigating the underlying pathological causes of these diseases – which
could lead to novel pharmacological interventions.

In the meantime, treatments such as speech therapy have been found to alleviate
symptoms and improve quality of life in the early disease stages. Recently,
FRONTIER and the University’s Communication Disorders Treatment and Research
Clinic have formed a partnership to provide student-led speech pathology
clinical services to PPA patients and their families.

—

 







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EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON VOICE CONTROL TECHNOLOGY’S PROS, CONS AND FUTURE

November 1, 2022 Published by: admin





Voice control technology can make window coverings easier to operate for someone
with vision or … [+] mobility challenges.

Graber Blinds


The “Open the pod bay doors, Hal” command from the 1968 sci fi classic 2001: A
Space Odyssey might be the most famous voice control request in cinematic
history. The dystopian response from the artificial intelligence computer HAL
9000, “I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that” is just as famous – or, more
accurately, infamous. The desperate astronaut, David Bowman, begins to shut down
the rogue system to get safely back onto the spacecraft.

Perhaps you’ve had desperate moments with voice control technology in your own
home when you just wanted to shut the whole thing down too. Hopefully, your
occasional frustrations have been less life threatening, and the potential of
this technology to your home life is generally worth the periodic annoyances.
It’s quite possible that your annoyances require less engineering knowledge and
have happier outcomes for all of your household members.


VOICE CONTROL POTENTIAL AND PITFALLS

“From young to elderly to visually impaired and mobility challenged, voice
control can benefit a large portion of the population,” observes Linda Kafka,
founder of the Livable Design Summit. “However, it is important to know that
voice-activated technology does not work for everyone.” She also notes that
voice control technology is still in its infancy, nowhere near ‘HAL-capable’
yet. “The technology we currently have access to is based on simple programmed
commands that offers peace of mind through security monitoring and allows us to
perform simple tasks.”

Smarter AI-based systems are in development, she shares, though initial cost and
interoperability limitations between devices and systems may slow adoption. It’s
likely that costs will drop as options become more widely marketed, predicts
Scott Trudeau, practice manager with the American Occupational Therapy
Association. At the moment, “Cost factors and access equity present real
concerns,” he notes. “The individuals who may benefit the most from such
advancements may have limited resources to acquire and maintain costly
equipment.”



Another factor impacting voice control acceptance, Kafka points out, is privacy.
“Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned as companies use [their] data to
identify routines and preferences, then target advertising.” How much risk does
that put us in, and where are the laws and regulations to protect us from abuse,
she wonders. The accessibility educator recommends bypassing mass market systems
in favor of working with a trained technology integrator and using more
proprietary systems.


MEMORY CHALLENGES

Since voice control today is based on remembering commands programmed into the
system, users can be left frustrated, Kafka comments. This can be particularly
true for older adults who want to continue living independently, and for those
with mobility challenges greatly helped by voice control’s ability to open or
close window coverings, respond to a doorbell without getting up, water the
lawn, turn on the TV and other tasks many of us take for granted.

“I believe it may be irresponsible for trade professionals to have elderly
clients or persons with disabilities believe that creating a smart home will
improve all aspects of their lives,” Kafka asserts. “This is especially true for
those with progressive conditions,” where the user’s memory and voice may fail
over time.


PHYSICAL CHALLENGES

“Voice-activated technologies allow people with physical disabilities to control
the function of their home without having to physically move their bodies or use
eyesight,” says Whitney Austin Gray, senior vice president of research at the
International WELL Building Institute. She has seen it used on wheelchairs by
those with cerebral palsy and by blind individuals to operate their appliances
and read their newspapers. “As an underpinning principle, we’re seeing how
innovative solutions, including voice control technology, can help ensure a
space is more inclusive, accessible and equitable.”

“When general physical mobility is challenged, even temporarily, using voice
commands to perform a usually physical task like adjusting lighting or raising
or lowering the window shades can be a huge benefit,” comments Trudeau. “Less
visible challenges, like perceptual or cognitive deficits can also benefit
greatly from these technologies to simplify routine tasks,” he adds. “For
instance, people with low vision can precisely set the oven temperature by voice
command without struggling to set the dials just right. These technological
advances can be game changing for many individuals.”


SPEECH CHALLENGES

Perhaps you’ve seen the hilarious video of the tech savvy bachelor with a
super-smart home unable to function after a mouth-numbing dental procedure. Like
astronaut Dave, he can’t get his door opened to start with. Maybe you know
someone who has had this problem in real life. “There are many different kinds
of speech, language, and voice disorders and differences, and each of them can
be a barrier to using voice-controlled devices,” explains Brooke Hatfield,
associate director of health care services for the American Speech-Language
Hearing Association.

Speech recognition devices have been trained by data samples that represent
typical patterns and characteristics. If a user’s speech falls outside these
patterns the system may not recognize what’s being said, she explains. Examples
include people who stutter; have aphasia like Bruce Willis (and need a longer
time to summon the desired word); have speech changes from stroke, ALS or
Parkinson’s; even people whose voices have become raspy or harsh over time.
“Many of these are parameters that someone can’t easily control or change, so if
they’re not being understood by the device, they may not be able to do much
about it,” Hatfield comments. Some people with severe communication problems use
assistive technology to support their communication, like pre-programmed or
spelled messages that are spoken by a synthesized voice. There are also
text-to-speech apps that can help with voice control systems, she says.

There may be issues for people who have distinct accents not recognized by the
technology, the speech pathologist says. “We all have an accent,” she muses, so
it’s likely that the system was trained on one like yours. Maybe not though. “A
consumer doesn’t know how a device was programmed before purchasing it or
incorporating it.” It’s likely that Novocain numbing was not one of the speech
patterns included.

Dental work aside, better technology is coming to the voice control arena,
Hatfield says. “There are companies who are actively trying to close this gap,
such as Google Research’s Project Euphonia. Through this project they are
actively recruiting people with speech differences and disorders to provide
samples to teach the AI to be a better listener. Efforts like this are a big
step towards equitable access to voice-controlled technologies.”


LAST WORDS

“We must be clear that these technologies represent options – not answers – and
the individual needs, aptitudes and preferences of a given client must be
carefully weighted when recommending any intervention plan,” Trudeau advises.
Are they worth having in your home? Perhaps now. Perhaps soon. It’s worth
keeping tabs on.



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