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1
Effects of Visual Feedback of Speech on Fluency
in Autism Spectrum Disorders Dana Githmark Keene
State College
RESULTS
BACKGROUND
MATERIALS AND METHODS

• DSM IV Classifications of Pervasive Developmental
  Disorders (Autism, Aspergers, PDD-NOS)
• All involve speech impairment as some part of the
  criterion for the disorder
• Autism-delay in, or total lack, of development
  of spoken language (DSM IV)
• -When development occurs, elements of
  speech (pitch, tone, rate, rhythm) can be
  abnormal
• Aspergers- no clinically significant delay in
  language, but speech difficulties are evident and
  play a role in their problems with social
  interaction
• People with PDD as Visual Learners
• Mesibov Schopler (1988) state that autistic
  children are generally visual learners due to
  their problems with auditory perception.
• Tissot Evans (2003) argue the importance of
  using visual techniques as learning tools for
  autistic children

• A 2x4 repeated measures ANOVA was run on the data
• Significant difference of improvement
  within the trials was found (see Table 2)
• Overall increase in degree of match from trial 1
  to trial 5 in all sessions (see Table 1)
• Overall increase in level of improvement of
  subjects across the 5 weeks (see Figure 2

• Materials
• Laptop
• External computer monitor
• Audacity and Camtasia computer software
• Methods
• Four subjects attended five weekly sessions,
  lasting approximately 30 minutes each
• Participants received visual feedback of the
  experimenter's speech and their own using a
  computer based audio program called Audacity
• Three phrases were utilized, with each one being
  repeated five times (five trials) in each session
• Subjects received instructions to visually
  match the patterns of sounds and silences
  (e.g., pauses, loudness, length of speech) of the
  experimenter
• Subjects were coached by the experimenter after
  each trial as to provide them with feedback and
  what needed to be improved for the next trial
• Each session was recorded as a video screen-cast
  using the Camtasia software, enabling the data to
  be reviewed afterwards
• Subjects were measured on a 0-4 rating scale (see
  Fig. 3) on the degree of match between subject
  and experimenter as well on the subjects level
  of improvement throughout by two independent
  raters.
• Data was run through SPSS

Tests of Within-Subjects Effects
Table 2
PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS
The purpose of this pilot study was to collect
exploratory data on the effects of visual
feedback of speech patterns on fluency of speech
in individuals diagnosed with some form of
Pervasive Developmental Disorder (e.g., Autism,
Aspergers, PDD-N.O.S.) One of the most
noticeable features of individuals with PDD are
their problems with communication, including
using and understanding language. Ideally this
study was designed to test how to improve
subjects speech over time as well as the
implications of visual feedback. The
hypothesis was that as the trials and weeks
progressed, the degree of match as well as the
level of improvement would increase.
CONCLUSIONS
Figure 2
Measurement Scale 0 1
2 3 4 None
Slight Moderate High
Very High

• Pilot study showed a moderate indication of
  speech improvement and match over time
• Difficult to make a general statement about the
  data from such a small sample of subjects
• Suggestions for further study
• Larger sample of subjects
• Should separate subjects data by their PDD
  diagnosis and compare/contrast each
• Should begin each session with subject repeating
  each phrase without visual feedback, as to create
  a control
• Allow measurements to be given by more
  independent raters as to achieve more accurate
  interpretations of the data

Figure 3
Figure 1
Table 1
Computation Of Means of Degree of Match
REFERENCES

• Mesibov, G. Schopler, E. Diagnosis and
  Assessment in Autism. Springer University of
  North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 1988.
• Tissot, C. Evans, R. (2003) Visual Teaching
  Strategies for Children with Autism. Early Child
• Development and Care. 173(4) pp. 425-433.