Speech Production Training Agent for Children with Language Challenges

Animated Speech Corporation aims to validate the effectiveness of its 3D animated talking head software application platform to assist teachers and speech pathologists in the treatment of speech disorders. The platform consists of simple, user-friendly tools to create speech and language lessons which incorporate a lip readable accurate talking head, dubbed "Baldi®." Baldi's skin can be made transparent to show how speech is created by the tongue, jaw (palate, gums and teeth) and lips. Views from any angle can be supplemented with airflow and vibration indicators and highlighting. The project will devise articulation lessons with optimal view configurations for Baldi to demonstrate production of critical speech segments. Speech/language impaired children, including deaf and hard of hearing children in grades K-6 will be trained with this system. The effectiveness will be compared against direct instruction and commercially available speech training software alternatives. The long-term goals are to expand and commercialize the application to provide speech therapy to1) children with a broad spectrum of speech disorders including phonology (speech sound discrimination), fluency (the flow of speech) and motor speech (movement of oral structures) and 2) children with other contributing conditions such as autism