Phonological Disorders as a Determinant of Speech Intelligibility among Learners with Down Syndrome in Public Primary Schools, Nairobi County, Kenya.
Loading...
Date
2024-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Learners with Down Syndrome (DS) usually present with specific difficulties with speech production which often affect their speech intelligibility leading to communication breakdown. However, studies on phonological disorders in this special population are currently limited hence their specific challenges with speech sound production and the impact on speech intelligibility is unclear. The purpose of this study therefore, was to investigate phonological disorders as a determinant of speech intelligibility among learners with Down syndrome in public primary schools, Kasarani Sub County. The specific objectives were: to examine the patterns of phonological errors that affect speech intelligibility of learners with DS; to determine the extent to which phonological disorders affect intelligibility of speech of learners with DS and to establish the intervention strategies for phonological disorders that can improve speech intelligibility of learners with Down syndrome. The study was guided by the theory of Natural Phonology by David Stampe. A descriptive study design was used. Piloting was conducted in one of the public primary schools with learners with DS to ensure validity and reliability of the instruments. The study used the available population of 25 learners with DS and 10 teachers trained in special needs education who were purposely selected from public primary schools in Kasarani Sub-county. Data was collected through test of phonology, speech intelligibility test and questionnaires for teachers. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to analyze quantitative data whereas the qualitative data that was obtained from open ended questions was analyzed thematically. The study established that learners with Down syndrome displayed consistent phonological error patterns that have been classified as a disorder. Some of the phonological disorders portrayed by the learners were: Epenthesis, cluster reduction, gliding, substitution, consonant deletion, fronting, syllable reduction, devoicing, stopping, alveolarization and backing. Epenthesis emerged as the most common disorder among the learners, final consonant deletion, substitution, gliding, medial consonant deletion, initial consonant deletion, fronting, cluster reduction, stopping while backing and devoicing as the least produced disorder. From the ordinal speech intelligibility index scale 65% of the learners had severe speech intelligibility, 25% had moderate speech intelligibility while 10% had mild speech intelligibility. Further the study established that speech intelligibility of learners with Down syndrome is impaired due to presence of phonological disorders which have been noted to not only affect the academics and classroom participation, but also social aspect of their lives, self-esteem and interaction with their peers. Some of the interventions entail IEPs, use of mirrors to aid in correct placement of the articulators when producing the sounds with errors, imitation technique where by the learner had to imitate from the teacher how to produce the sounds correctly using the mirror as an aid. The study recommended that special needs teachers should be trained on how to identify learners with phonological disorders and methods of assisting in ways of bringing clarity to their speech thereby positively influencing the intelligibility of the learners with DS. Trained speech therapists should also collaborate with teachers to assist them in developing IEPs that not only target on academics but also on different aspects of communication in the case of language impairment such as phonological disorder.
Description
A Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master in Speech and Language Pathology in the School of Education, Kenyatta University June 2024.
Supervisor
Tom O. Abuom