HSF-Funded Research Presented at UT
Susie Robertson, M.A., CCC-A, currently in the Ph.D. program at UT in the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, presented an HSF-funded research project at the 2010 Southeast Regional Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Conference July 26 at the UT Conference Center.
Her poster, titled “The Effect of Hearing Loss on Infant Directed Speech,” focuses on the perceptual preference of speech types – infant directed speech (IDS) versus adult directed speech (ADS) – in infants with hearing impairments who wear amplification devices, such as hearing aids.
“The purpose of this study is to better understand the development of speech perception in preverbal infants with hearing loss,” said Robertson. "Infant directed speech, used around the world in different cultures, helps capture babies’ attention and helps them learn words and language. We were curious if that same assumption held true in infants with hearing impairments." IDS is the type of speech adults and caregivers use when talking to infants. Also known as “baby-talk,” it involves using an exaggerated pitch, rhythm, and duration of the speech signal. Research shows that normal-hearing infants typically prefer this type of speech over adult directed speech.
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