Implications of Word-Initial Vowel Glottalization in Childhood Apraxia of Speech Treatment

Abstract

A vowel is a speech sound in which the airflow moves freely with minimal obstructions through the vocal tract and can appear in different places in the words structure. Word initial vowel glottalization is a phenomenon described in the literature while clinical implications were observed among children diagnosed with Apraxia of speech (CAS). This research examined the clinical consequences of the phenomenon on the analysis and treatment of CAS.

256 CAS cases were examined using the VML (Verbal Motor Learning) method evaluation. Analysis of the consonant groups shows that 11% of the children had difficulty with producing the glottal consonant, in comparison to other consonants.

The implications of the findings influence the analysis process and are crucial for the treatment of 11% of the CAS population. Further theoretical discussions and findings are reported.