ba ba
BABBLE
National Speech & Language Therapy
Conference in Deafness
Mary Hare School for the Deaf
7th February 2014
Sasha Bemrose-Independent Speech & Language Therapist
DEFINITIONS OF BABBLE
Stark
Roug, Landberg, Lundberg
Reflexive crying & vegetative sounds-0-8wks
Cooing & laughter-8-20wks
Vocal play-16-30wks
Reduplicated babble-25-50wks
Non-reduplicated babble-after 50wks
Nakazima
Crying/beginning non crying sounds-01mnth
Phonation/non crying sounds-1 mnth
Development of articulation-2-5mnths
Repetitive babbling-6-8 months
Prelinguistic commn in voice-9-12mnths
Glottal-2-3mnths
Velar/uvular-3-4 mnths
Vocalic-4-6 mnths
Reduplicated C babble-6-10mnths
Variegated C babble-10-12 mnths
Koopmans-van Beinum & van der Stelt
Uninterrupted phonation-0-6wks
Interrupted phonation-6-10wks
1 articulatory mvmnt with continuous or interrupted
phonation-10-20wks
Variations in phonatory domain-20-26wks
Multiple articulatory mvmts-26-40wks
Meaningful wrds-40wks
TYPES OF BABBLE
Ref-D. Kimbrough Oller
• Pre canonical
• Canonical
– Single syllable
– Strings (same C & V)
– Strings (mixed C &/or V)
ahhh
ga
guga
PRE-CANONICAL BABBLE
– Precursor to canonical babble & speech
– Doesn’t possess well formed qualities C’s or V’s
– Before 6 months hearing babies
– Not transcribed phonetically
• Global Grouping
– quasi vowel
-yells
– whispers
-raspberries
– glottal sequences
-marginal babble
– isolated vowel like sound
-growls
– squeals
– www.vocaldevelopment.com/precanonical.htm
CANONICAL BABBLE
•
•
•
•
Full, well formed, vowel like sounds
At least 1 consonant sound
rapid transition between C & V
Repeatedly contrast sounds
 7-8 mnths and reliably at 10 months in hearing
children
 Onset of real words follow few months after onset
canonical babble
 Early canonical-transcribed with caution
VIDEO CLIPS
girl-4 months-H
boy-7 months-H
boy-8 months-H
http://boy-11 months-HI
http://girl-CI
Twins-H
CANONICAL BABBLE RATIO
•
•
•
•
Number canonical utterances
Total number of utterances
Increases with age
Good measure of progress
Good measure of speech like quality
Parents hearing children-95% accurate
identifying onset canonical babble-less
easy to determine with deaf babies
DEAF CHILDREN
• Moderate/severe loss-canonical same time or
slightly later than hearing children
• Profoundly deaf-canonical babble
significantly later than hearing (except CI)
• More glottal sequences than hearing
• Age amplification positively correlated to
canonical babble
COCHLEAR IMPLANT
Ref: Schauwers et al 2004
• Babble=First appearance of multiple
articulatory movements/Stage 5/Canonical
babble-usually at 7-10 months
• Canonical babble ratio of 0.2 or higher
 Babbling started 1-4 months following
implantation
 Babbling corresponded with age
implantation-earlier implantation, closer to
normal development of babble
 Better results if implanted within first year
REFERENCES
• Vocal language development in deaf children-new
challenges -D. Kimbrough Oller- In Advances in the
spoken language development in deaf and hard of
hearing children-Spencer & Marschark 2006
• Cochlear Implant between 5 & 20 months of age-The
onset of babbling & the audiologic outcome.
Schauwers.K, Gillis.S, Daemers.K, De Beukelaer. C &
Govaerts. P.-Otology & Neurotology 25:263. 270
(2004)