COMPARING REAL-TIME AND TRANSCRIPT-BASED TECHNIQUES FOR MEASURING STUTTERING

The purpose of this study was to compare results obtained from two dif ferent techniques for counting speech disfluencies. Fifty audio-videot aped speech samples were analyzed using: (a) a transcript-based techni que designed to evaluate speech (dis:fluency in the context of a speak er's conveyed message and (b) a real-time technique designed to rapidl y determine the frequency of various types of speech disfluencies in c onversational speech. Results obtained using these two techniques were quite similar, though there were some consistent and pre dictable dif ferences associated with the presence of brief sound prolongations and more complicated disfluency clusters. Further analysis revealed that the two measurement techniques resulted in substantially different sev erity ratings for only two of the 50 speech samples. Findings provide support for a comprehensive measurement strategy in which clinicians u tilize a transcript-based approach when more derailed information is n eeded (e.g., during diagnostic evaluations) and a real-time approach f or documenting on-going changes in clients' speech behaviors (e.g., du ring treatment). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.