The phonological characteristics and correction of glottal stop after cleft palate surgery.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the phonological characteristics of glottal stop on the patients with speech disorders following cleft palate surgery or pharyngoplasty, and to determine the effects of a new method of speech training for glottal stop in chinese.

METHODS

Using the methods of listening judge and sound spectrograph in acoustic analyses to investigate the category and frequency of glottal stop on consonants in Chinese. A new method of speech therapy was used for 12 patients with glottal stop.

RESULTS

The frequency of glottal stop on the unaspirating affricates and unaspirating plosives were the highest in Chinese consonants. Secondly, the aspirating affricates and aspirating plosives, and then, the fricatives, but the nasal consonants were not effected by glottal stop completely. The score of articulations of the 12 patients whom trained through the methods increased from 32% to 85.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

The glottal stop is one of the main causes to impair the articulations of consonants and speech. The new methods of speech training for glottal stp are effective.