During child development some children have delays or impairments in their ability to generate certain sounds, thus hindering their ability of speech generation. Between eight and nine percent of young children have speech sound disorders according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other
Communication Disorders (NIDCD). Specifically for the first grade, about five percent of children have noticeable speech disorders. Speech therapy lessens the disorder and improves speech for many children. During a typical speech therapy session, the therapist verbally interacts with the child to generate various sound patterns. The correct sound patterns are repeated for training of the neural circuits that control speech generation. Since children may not like repetition and practice, but usually like games, a therapist may incorporate the speech practice within a game. However, speech therapy may be expensive. School budgets are tight and insurance may not cover the cost of all speech therapy sessions.
Moreover, what is learned during the therapy sessions needs to be practiced at home. But many parents are busy and some children live in unstable home environments. Software-based therapy systems could be used to facilitate practice at home, as well as guide certain aspects of the speech therapy lessons.
The objectives of this project are to develop a computer based speech therapy system. Once basic functions are developed, a game format will be used to coordinate the lessons and practice. An algorithm will be developed for a home-based therapy system. This system will allow children to conduct speech therapy exercises at home in the form of games. The progress of each child will be monitored and recorded for later analysis by a therapist, teacher, or parent. This interactive method should enable more therapy sessions and practice, which should lead to improved speech development.

The first prototype system will focus on pitch generation and recognition. This will be accomplished using open source code that is available for speech recognition applications. The algorithm will be capable of detecting pitch and providing feedback in real time to the child. The open source code that will be used for pitch detection is dywapitchtrack. For later prototypes, other parameters such as volume, timing between words, and articulation will be included into this speech therapy program.
The prototype programs will first be tested on adults having no speech disabilities. Following further development, the prototype will be tested on selected children. If the system appears to be viable for speech therapy, then such systems may be able to help improve the speech ability of many children.
[1] Outcomes, Benefits and Drawbacks of Speech Therapy. [Web]. Available: http://www.bravekids.org/health-wellness/treatments-and-therapies/speech-therapy/outcomes-benefitsand-drawbacks-of-speech-therapy/
[2] Outcomes, Benefits and Drawbacks of Speech Therapy. [Web]. Available: http://www.mychildwithoutlimits.org/plan/common-treatments-and-therapies/speech-therapy/outcomesbenefits-and-drawbacks-of-speech-therapy/
[3] (2010, June 7). Statistics on Voice, Speech, and Language. [Web]. Available: http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/pages/vsl.aspxReferences for Problem Statement