Computer Activities for Those With Speech and Language Difficulties?

An anonymous reader writes "My girlfriend is training to be a speech and language therapist here in the UK (speech pathologist in the US). A number of clients are guys who enjoy playing computer games, and for a variety of reasons some have no incentive to try and improve their speech. The issue is, this can obviously inhibit options for jobs and/or other aspects of life. I was trying to think of fun computer-based activities for those with speech and language difficulties that encourage individuals to speak, and furthermore to speak with greater clarity. Or games/activities that might encourage them to do more speech work. The first options that sprang to mind were the online games with team-speak / team-talk for those with mild difficulties. The sampling / accent issue might force them to speak with greater clarity or wish to have that ability. Obviously, they can just type. Any thoughts?"

It all depends

[arb phd slp]

How significant a speech impairment are you talking about?

If it is only a speech issue (like a lisp) and they don't value the therapy, then I'm not sure what to say. I know a guy here who has quirky speech, but he's doing fine as an engineering student at a major university.

The reason we target speech in kids so heavily is that speech issues may (although not always) be a symptom of an underlying language problem that interferes with many other aspects of language. It's not just making kids talk better; it's more about giving kids who need it a redundant channel to learn phonology, morphology, and syntax.

When I have to phone a robot

[mirix]

And it doesn't understand me, it usually just pisses me off, rather than cures my speech. :-/
Unless you want me to speak very loud and slow to everyone!


automated POS: "would you like to... say yes for option one"
me: "yes"
robot: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that, please repeat"
me: "YES"
robot: " I'm sorry, I didn't understand that, please repeat... or press 1 for yes, 2 for no"

[furiously presses 1]

Don't do anything

[Mr. Freeman]

"some have no incentive to try and improve their speech."
If they have no incentive then don't bother with them. If someone isn't willing to work at something then there's no point helping them, they're still going to fail. If they have trouble getting employment, then that's an incentive right there. You don't need to create incentives for someone who doesn't want to try.

If there isn't an incentive then there usually isn't a problem. If they don't have trouble getting a job, don't have trouble working with people, don't want to talk to people online, then they're not likely to bother trying to improve their speech.

Re:Several months

[Anonymous Coward]

Precisely what I was thinking. Putting people in bubbles aren't going to make them change. How about taking away their computer? Better yet, how about giving them a computer which only responds to speech? We aren't helpless creatures and our empathy for people sometimes end up producing negative results. People need real challenges, not a pad on their backs. Now I'm not saying people should be tortured, please don't misunderstand me here, I'm saying that there's a reason to why people who don't speak a language learn to order food or ask for directions first. If we really need to learn something we will try our hardest to learn it. Sometimes it might not be enough -- in which case a person should be aided, but until then the service would more often be a disservice. Fluffing the pillows of already privileged people is not the answer, and yes if you own a computer which you can play games on without worrying about food on your table and a roof above your head you are privileged. There are people far worse off who become far greater humans, because it was either pull your shit together or die. Though of course there were also many who didn't make it, still I think we can all agree that with regards to these people in topic it's long way until it reaches to that.

Re:Don't do anything

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Your theory might work (emphasis on the might, very few human societies have ever tried to operate on the "well, if he isn't motivated just ignore him until he is" principle, so there aren't many data) on more or less rational adults.

It is quite possible, though, given the usual places you find speech/language pathologists that OP's girlfriend will be dealing with children. That strategy simply doesn't cut it with them.

Girls.

[rueger]

A passle of good looking girls, a few beers, and these guys will have lots of incentive to hone their language skills.

It's like the old story of the kid who grew to be twelve years old without ever uttering a word. Doctors found nothing, psychologists found nothing, neurologists found nothing - there was no reason why he shouldn't talk.

One morning though he sat down at the kitchen table picked up his breakfast, and said "This porridge is cold!"

His startled Mother says "My God Tommy! You talked! What happened?"

Tommy looks at her and says "Until now everything was OK."

English or American?

[Roger W Moore]

Note that the poster was in the UK - so does the speech recognition understand English or just American? I remember an incredibly frustrating phonecall using the United Airlines speech "recognition" system they used a while ago to give out flight times. Being British the damn thing completely failed to understand what I was saying until I guessed that it wanted a US accent. Amazingly my fake American accent was enough to get some comprehension from the system. So, unless whatever speech recognition you use is designed for British accents and language, all you may end up doing is exchanging one speech impediment for another!

Re:Same here

[Nazlfrag]

Talking about Walters, doesn't her carreer as a wildly successful news anchor contradict the OPs statement 'The issue is it can obviously inhibit options for jobs/other aspects of life etc.'. I don't think that it's obvious at all. The need for adult speech pathology seems massively overrated for most people in most professions if even news anchors can get away with having an impediment.

Re:Not to hijack, but I need something for a kid,

[Faerunner]

Hey, that's my job!
(Part of it, anyway. I work with kids with autism spectrum disorders and many, many of them have great difficulties with speech and language processing. They not only don't speak clearly (if at all) but they have trouble labeling objects both receptively (touch the couch!) and expressively (what is that? Couch!)). I'm really interested to see what people have to say about this. The best motivation I've found is to take away anything the kid really wants (food, drinks, toys, computer) and make them ask for it repeatedly during a session, modeling the appropriate way to ask (Picture Exchange Communication System, sign language, verbal cues, Dynavox, Dynawrite...) and then making sure that they are asking at the highest level they are able to reach. I won't take "waha" for "water" when I know they can say "wata". It can be frustrating for them but if you always reward with the item after they've made a few (good) attempts to ask, they'll very soon learn that it's worth speaking clearly so they don't have to go through "I didn't understand you - say it again!" six times. Once they know that communication is effective in fulfilling their desires you can work on shaping language to a clearer state. If they're not motivated you'll get nowhere. For some of them I'd honestly advocate putting them in a public setting with a list of questions they have to ask in order to find their way "home", standing back and watching. If they can't get passerby to understand them, and are capable of understanding -why- they aren't understood, they'll hopefully shape up their speech patterns as fast as they can at least to a level where most people can grasp what they're saying. Just don't do with the guys who are going to be easily frustrated or become violent (duh).
I can't play back a kid's voice without a tape recorder in hand, but I do a lot of modeling, overexaggerated lip movements and bouncing around to make it fun and I can react a lot better than a computer can to a kid's changing attention and level of motivation.