Shaping speech
Sue Buckley
Clear speech can often be challenging for people with Down syndrome.
The shape of the hard palate in the top of the mouth influences speech
production. A new paper reports detailed measures of the shape and size of
the hard palate among children with Down syndrome.
Buckley SJ. Shaping speech. Down Syndrome Research and Practice. 2007;12(1);15-15.
doi:10.3104/updates.2050
Most children with Down syndrome have difficulty in developing clear speech. It is likely that
the shape of the hard palate in the top of the mouth influences this as many speech sounds
involve specific patterns of contact between places on the tongue and the hard palate. This is
the view of Bhagyalakshmi and colleagues[1]
and they report the data from a research study designed to
quantify the shape and size of the hard palate in individuals with Down syndrome. Many have
observed that palate shapes may be different but there have been no objective studies which
measure the differences.
Does the shape of the hard palate effect speech
sound production?
As the researchers observe, it is possible to change the shape of the hard palate by expanding
the palatal arch and this is a routine procedure in orthodontics. In order to investigate the
value of changes in the palate in this way on speech, some basic information on the typical
shape and size of the palate in children with Down syndrome is an important starting point. In
this study, a range of hard palate measurements were collected by making dental impressions for
48 children with Down syndrome (six to 16 years of age) and compared with the same measurements
for the dental impressions of 48 typically developing comparison children. The paper presents
detailed information on 7 different measurements used to describe the shape and size of the hard
palate. For the majority of the measures, there was a significant difference between the two
groups.
The paper concludes by identifying studies which indicate that the use of various inserted
artificial palatal plates which a child may wear for limited periods each day can lead to
improved speech sound articulation. There is some evidence of the effectiveness of orthondontic
procedures to change the shape of the hard palate[2]
but there is a need for more research to identify how long
the changes last and whether changing the shape of the hard palate does actually lead to
improvements in speech.
Sue Buckley is at Down Syndrome Education International,
Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK. e-mail:
sue.buckley@downsed.org
doi:10.3104/updates.2050
References
- Bhagyalakshmi G, Renukarya AJ, Rajangam S. Metric analysis of the hard palate in children
with Down syndrome – a comparative study. Down
Syndrome Research and Practice, 2007;12(1):55-59.
[Open Access Full Text
]
- De Moura CP, Vales F, Andrade D, Cunha LM, Barros H, Pueschel SM, Clemente MP. Rapid
maxilliary expansion and nasal patency in children with Down syndrome. Rhinology. 2005; 43:138-142.
Our information and advice services build on 30 years of research examining all
aspects cognitive development, speech, language, reading, maths and social development
for people with Down syndrome.
This research is delivering life-changing results today for children with Down syndrome
in homes and classrooms around the world.
Over 70% of this work is funded by voluntary donations.
Your support is essential.
Please help us to improve life for people
with Down syndrome today