Speech Therapy Animation and imaging Resource (STAR)

言语和语言治疗的训练和实践主要是通过听声音、感觉语言器官的运动和语言描述声音是如何产生的。然而，最近的研究涉及使用隐藏语言器官运动的视觉信息，特别是（如舌头运动），表明视觉方法可以改变语言治疗的游戏规则，在多年的传统治疗之后提供突破。视觉方法的主要优点之一是，观察隐藏的语言器官的动态成像已被证明是一种更直观的方法来展示目标语音发音，特别是对儿童来说，避免了语言器官如何运动的复杂，抽象的描述。有几种技术可以用来揭示隐藏的语言器官。超声舌头成像（UTI），使用标准的医用超声机器，已经成为一种很有前途的治疗工具，允许用户观察目标舌头的运动，并将其与自己的运动进行比较。磁共振成像提供了一个更全面的视图，显示声道的所有部分，但不适合用于日常治疗。费用、培训和可及性阻碍了这些技术在言语治疗诊所的普遍使用；然而，临床和语音学研究人员收集了大量的UTI和MRI视频记录，包括障碍和非障碍语言。这些是宝贵的培训/治疗资源，但无法以当前形式访问，因为大多数UTI/MRI数据集只能使用昂贵且技术复杂的专业软件查看。UTI和MRI揭示了比通常认为的更多种类的语音产生策略，因此为客户提供了更多的策略来尝试。对语言治疗客户的好处是更好地理解舌头的运动和发音的位置，更直观地理解发声器官的运动和视觉输入，这对那些通过视觉演示更有效地学习的人特别有用。本项目将为言语治疗师的培训和临床使用提供定制资源；语言治疗动画和影像资源（STAR）。来自六个不同临床和非临床语言研究项目的现有声道成像记录将以最易访问的格式和用户友好的界面在线提供。此外，语音的MRI记录将用于创建准确，简化的声道动画，供儿科语言治疗客户在诊所和家中使用。这些动画将展示发声器官在发声过程中是如何运动的。STAR将包括两个网站；一份供言语治疗师训练、参考及持续专业发展之用，另一份则供儿科来访者及其家属在诊所及家中使用。培训网站将包含声道动画，并解释UTI和MRI技术和记录过程。它将包含急需的语音紊乱和非语音紊乱的UTI视频数据库，显示各种语音错误和障碍，以及各种英语口音的规范语音产生。临床网站将包含清晰和信息丰富的动画，解释声道是如何工作的，并展示不同音节位置的语音生产。它也将包含互动动画作业，以促进诊所治疗师所设定的实践作业的各个方面。STAR将在对远程高质量临床教学的需求空前高涨之际提供这些资源。我们项目的研究方向将是与SLT社区和客户合作，评估如何最好地提供远程和/或混合培训和治疗，以应对当前和后covid -19环境的挑战

Speech and Language Therapy training and practice is dominated by approaches involving listening to sounds, feeling the movements of the speech organs and verbal descriptions of how speech sounds are produced. However, recent research involving use of visual information about hidden speech organ movement in particular (e.g. tongue movement) has shown that visual approaches to speech therapy can be game changing, providing breakthroughs after years of conventional therapy. One of the main advantages of visual approaches is that viewing dynamic imaging of the hidden speech organs has been shown to be a more intuitive method of demonstrating target speech articulations, particularly for children, avoiding complex, abstract descriptions of how speech organs move.Several technologies can be used to reveal the hidden speech organs. Ultrasound Tongue Imaging (UTI), using standard medical ultrasound machines, has emerged as a promising therapy tool, allowing users to view target tongue movements and compare them to their own. Magnetic Resonance Imaging provides a more comprehensive view, showing all parts of the vocal tract, but is not suitable for use in day-to-day therapy. Costs, training and accessibility prevent the general use of these technologies in Speech Therapy clinics; however, clinical and phonetic researchers have collected a large number of UTI and MRI video recordings of both disordered and non-disordered speech. These represent a valuable training/therapeutic resource, but cannot be accessed in their current form, as most UTI/MRI datasets can be viewed only using expensive and technically-sophisticated specialist software. UTI and MRI reveal a greater variety of strategies for speech-sound production than are generally considered, and therefore provide a greater number of strategies for Clients to try. The benefit for Speech Therapy Clients is a better understanding of tongue movement and placement in speech-sound production, a more intuitive means of understanding vocal-organ movement and visual input, which can be particularly useful for those who learn more effectively through visual demonstration. This project will create bespoke resources for Speech Therapists' training and use in Clinic; the Speech Therapy Animation and imaging Resource (STAR). Existing vocal-tract-imaging recordings from six different clinical and non-clinical speech-research projects will be made available online, in the most accessible formats and user-friendly interfaces. Additionally, MRI recordings of speech will be used to create accurate, simplified vocal-tract animations for use by paediatric Speech Therapy Clients, in Clinic and at home. These animations will show how the vocal organs move in the production of speech sounds. STAR will consist of two Web sites; one for Speech Therapists' training, reference and continuing professional development, and the other for use by paediatric Clients and their families, in Clinic, and at home.The training site will contain vocal-tract animations and explanations of UTI and MRI technology and recording processes. It will contain much needed databases of UTI videos of disordered and non-disordered speech, showing a variety of speech-errors and disorders, as well as normative speech-sound production in a variety of English accents. The clinical site will contain clear and informative animations explaining how the vocal tract works and showing speech-sound production in different syllable positions. It will also contain interactive animated homework exercises to facilitate aspects of practise homework set by Therapists in Clinic. STAR will make available these resources at a time when the need for remote quality clinical teaching has never been greater. The research strand of our project will be to work with the SLT community and Clients, to assess how best to deliver remote and/or blended training and therapy, which meets the challenges of the current and post-COVID-19 environment