A preliminary exploration of conversation sampling in pediatric voice disorders

Abstract

Objective

Current methods of eliciting running speech for subjective rating, or perceptual analysis, in the assessment of pediatric voice disorders are not standardized. Whilst different assessment tools have different requirements, a commonality is the requirement to judge the perceptual characteristics of the individual’s everyday speaking voice. However, it is unclear whether current practices yield ecologically valid running speech samples. The aim of this study was to analyse the length and characteristics of conversational responses, to stimuli that were designed to elicit running speech samples from pediatric clients.

Method

Twenty conversations, conducted as part of the evaluation of voice in a pediatric population, were analysed. Length of responses, number of responses and question types were recorded.

Results

The median maximum utterance length was 15.9 s; seven participants presented with a maximum of less than 10 s. Response length was significantly associated with question type, F = 10.68, p<.001. The most frequent number of responses produced was 11 (range = 17, IQR = 5, 11). There was a moderate correlation between response length and number of responses, r(18)=.53, p=.02.

Discussion

These data demonstrated that informal conversational methods did not consistently yield running speech samples of greater than 10 s in length, the minimum sample length recommended by the CAPE-V protocol. There was considerable variability in the characteristics of the responses produced by participants. Using a task such as a narrative re-tell might allow for better standardization of responses, including elicitation of vocal behaviors of interest, as well as yield a longer sample.

Keywords:

• Voice
• dysphonia
• pediatric
• perceptual assessment
• conversation sampling
• evaluation
• methodology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Victoria Reynolds

Victoria Reynolds originally hails from Perth, Western Australia, where she trained as a speech-language pathologist. She holds a PhD in pediatric voice disorders from the University of Western Australia, where she completed a dissertation in the incidence, presentation and response to treatment, of dysphonia related to prematurity of birth. She is an Associate Professor in the MS SLP Program at Lewis University in Romeoville, IL., in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. She teaches voice and resonance, stuttering, pediatric feeding and research and research methods. Dr. Reynolds conducts research in voice, including prematurity of birth, occupational voice use, and assessment methodologies, as well as stuttering, and teaching and learning.

Aimee Fleury

Aimee Fleury is a speech-language pathologist from Malone, NY. She trained as a speechlanguage pathologist at SUNY Plattsburgh, where she graduated with her M.A. in 2019. She is currently employed as the speech-language pathologist at Morrisonville Elementary School, in northern NY, where she specializes in early communication. Ms. Fleury has presented research at state, national and international forums.