Backward and Simultaneous Masking Measured in Language-Learning Impaired Children Who Received Intervention with Fast ForWord or Laureate Learning Systems Software.
Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
Volume
10
Issue
3
Publication Date
2001
First Page
258
Last Page
268
Abstract
The developers of a computer-assisted language interventionprogram called Fast ForWord (FFW) have claimed that their softwarechanges temporal processing abilities as a result of specializedmodifications to the acoustic and temporal properties of thespeech signal within the program. This pilot study comparedchanges in auditory temporal processing in children who receivedFFW training and in children who received training with computer-assistedlanguage intervention programs that were not designed to improveauditory perceptual skills. Four boys with Language-LearningImpairments (LLI) and 3 boys with typical language participated.Two of the boys with LLI received the FFW program, and the other2 received a bundle of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) programspublished by Laureate Language Systems (LLS). The FFW and LLSprograms were presented on the same schedule.
To assess temporalprocessing, signal thresholds in backward and simultaneous maskingconditions were evaluated just before, during, and immediatelyafter language training. The boys with typically developinglanguage received no training. Children with typical languageproduced signal thresholds in the backward masking conditionthat were markedly lower than those in the simultaneous maskingcondition. This disparity is indicative of normal temporal processing.Conversely, 3 of 4 children with LLI failed to demonstrate asimultaneous-backward difference during baseline. The lack ofa difference implies that temporal processing was not normalin these children. The fourth child with LLI had signal thresholdsthat paralleled those of the children with normal language development.This child also had the mildest form of LLI.
Of the 3 childrenwhose temporal processing was abnormal, 2 boys showed decreasedsignal thresholds in the backward masking condition. However,the improvement was sudden, occurring relatively early in thetraining sequence, and observed with both treatment programs.The third child with abnormal temporal processing failed toshow a change in backward masking at any time during treatment.Over the course of the experiment, signal thresholds for alllisteners decreased by similar amounts in both backward andsimultaneous masking. Taken together, these results do not supportthe presence of a program-specific improvement in temporal processing.In addition to the temporal processing deficits revealed bybackward masking, group differences in response patterns implicateauditory memory involvement or differences in maintaining attention.
Recommended Citation
Marler, J. A., Champlin, C. A., & Gillam, R. B (2001). Backward and simultaneous masking measured in language-learning impaired children who received intervention with Fast ForWord or Laureate Learning systems software. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 10, (3) 258-268.
Comments
Published by American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Publisher PDF is available through link above. Publisher requires a subscription to access article.