The clinical presentation of cerebral palsy frequently includes motor speech impairments, which can substantially impair communication. Even in its mildest forms, atypical speech can impact social interactions and quality of life. Through a series of speaking and listening studies we will examine the interaction of perception and production of prosody (rhythm and pattern of sounds) and its impact on speech intelligibility in CP. In addition to contributing to the scientific and clinical knowledge base, findings from this work may challenge current clinical assumptions and lead to novel, more efficacious inventions that address the complex communication needs of individuals with CP.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Kathryn Connaghan, Ph.D, Associate Research Scientist at Northeastern University.
k.connaghan@neu.edu

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