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Using the Oro/Nasal System(TM)
The Oro/Nasal System is recommended for the treatment of both children and adults
who have a resonance disorder, involving either hypo- or hypernasality. Clients
may include individuals with a cleft palate that has been surgically repaired,
adults with a neurological disorder such as flaccid dysarthria, or individuals
with normal palatal structures and function who have adopted a style of speech
involving abnormal resonance.
The Oro/Nasal System is a powerful therapy tool because its real-time visual display
provides clients with immediate feedback. At the start of therapy, or as a warm-up
to a treatment session, targets may be selected which consist of single sounds.
Clients may watch their nasalance level change on the screen as they experiment
with different postures of velar closure. A bar graph is displayed on the screen
which shows the present level of nasalance occurring in the acoustic signal. A
target may be set on this graph in the form of a vertical line which the client
attempts to achieve.
Once the client is able to consistently produce single vowels and consonants with
appropriate levels of nasalization, the clinician may move on to targeting words,
phrases, and later continuous speech.
Two options for practicing speech are available: the client may view his or her
speech in a single display window on the screen; or the client may attempt to
match his production of a target displayed in one window to a model of the target
displayed in a second window. Using either format, the client's speech is displayed
on the screen in real time and three different colours are used to mark low, moderate,
and high levels of nasalization.
The simplicity of the OroNasal System makes it appropriate for both the professional
and the home user. It is easy to learn how to use and set-up for a session is
fast. To provide extra practice between sessions, the client may use the system
independently; in this case, the clinician may assign prerecorded target sounds
for the client to use. |
