SBIR Phase I: Speech Analysis and Intervention for Early Childhood

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I research project seeks to develop technology to help teachers and schools evaluate speech fluency in young children and to provide an innovative and unique method of intervention when speech problems are discovered. An initial goal of this research project is to develop automatic speech recognition software that is designed to identify specific aspects of speech that are related to early childhood education, such as rhyming, blending, vowel sounds. Current technologies specifically designed for adult speech recognition will be customized to identify aspects of a child's speech related to phonemic awareness. The second major goal of the research is to develop an novel procedure for the instruction and intervention of children with speech fluency difficulties, specifically, to 'mirror' the child's voice back to the child with the hope that the child will be able to self-correct the speech impediment. A child's speech is foundational to his or her literacy development and assessing speech fluency for the purpose of individualizing curriculum is a vital role of early childhood education. As schools nationwide are confronted with increased accountability due to 'No Child Left Behind' and 'Reading First' legislation, the technology proposed by this research plan could become an indispensable tool for use elementary schools. Currently, such speech fluency evaluations are typically delivered individually by teachers and consume a great deal of time and money. The proposed research will offer teachers an independently administered assessment and instructional technology that would be easy to use and provide immediately available and actionable information for schools.