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Electropalatographic Assessment of Tongue-to-Palate Contact Patterns and Variability in Children, Adolescents, and Adults

Contact author: Hei Yan Cheng, Division of Speech Pathology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072 Australia. E-mail: y.cheng{at}shrs.uq.edu.au.

Purpose: To investigate the developmental time course of tongue-to-palate contact patterns during speech from childhood to adulthood using electropalatography (EPG) and a comprehensive profile of data analysis.

Method: Tongue-to-palate contacts were recorded during productions of /t/, /l/, /s/, and /k/ in 48 children, adolescents and adults (aged 6–38 years) using the Reading Electropalatograph system.

Results: A protracted course of development for lingual control was indicated, with significant changes occurring until age 11 years; the adolescent period was in turn characterized by continual refinement of articulatory control. With maturity, a reduction in the amount of palatal contact and an anterior shift in the place of articulation was evident during anterior consonant productions, whereas the tongue-back-to-palate contact pattern became more consistent for the velar stop /k/.

Conclusion: These results support that maturation of the speech motor system is nonuniform.

KEY WORDS: articulation, EPG, motor control, tongue, speech development