This report concerns the effects of delayed auditory feedback (DAF) on the speech of four chronic stutterers ranging from 19 to 22 years in age. They were treated with the DAF procedures after a variety of previous treatments. I. Short-term study Procedure: Subjects were required to read and speak under (1) normal auditory feedback (NAF), (2) DAF, and then (3) NAF. DAF was presented continuously for about 10 minutes. One subject was not instructed how to speak under DAF. The others were instructed to prolong the speech units under DAF. Results: 1. Under DAF, all subjects reduced the frequency of their disfluency. However the reading rate, the pronunciation and the intonation in the speech under DAF were strikingly different from those in the normal speakers. 2. Under NAF following the removal of DAF, all subjects greatly improved their speech fluency. And the patern of speech was like the normal pattern. II. Long-term study (therapy) It was hypothesized that in order to improve stutterers' speech, the fluent speech under NAF following the removal of DAF would be established. Procedure: The subjects were trained in speech practice of 6 to 22 sessions. In each session, subjects had two or three times speech practices which was done under DAF 10 minutes and NAF several minutes. Results: 1. Two subjects became very fluent in speech, and the others greatly reduced the frequency of stuttering. 2. The improvement was remarkable in the early several sessions. This might be done not due to the adaptation to the therapy situation, but the DAF procedures, because the subjects had already been familiar with the situation in the previous treatment sessions. 3. The improvement in all subjects had been maintained on the follow-up studies repuired 3 to 18 months.

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The purpose of this study is to analyze the acoustic components of accent of speech is useful in selecting words or sentences of materials of hearing training for impaired children. Coefficient of correlation and standard deviation for the ratio of constancy in hearing test and acoustic components were obtained. The acoustic components were analyzed as follows; 1. The difference of descending ramp and ascending ramp of fundamental frequency in accented syllable 2. The difference of mean fundamental frequency of an accented syllable and other syllable to other syllable 3. The ratio of duration of an accented syllable to other syllable 4. The difference of a peak amplitude in an accented syllable and other syllable Constancy in hearing test was measured how many subjects perceived accent in speech constantly. Hearing materials were 10 Japanese sentences and 21 words spoken by Tokyoite female. Subjects were 10 students. The result showed that three acoustic components were related with constancy of accent perception; the difference of the ramps of fundamental frequency, the peak amplitudes, and the mean fundamental frequency. An experiment II was held with aim of the reliability of this study. Hearing materials were 18 words and 12 sentences spoken by 2 Tokyoite females. From the result of this study, it was considered that the difference of the ramps of fundamental frequency was related more closely that of amplitudes with constancy of accent perception in speech.

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The present study was conducted to disclose the effectiveness of the behavior modification techniques in modifying antisocial responses and in shaping proper responses in mealtime on group situation. The subjects in this study were four retarded boys who varied in age from 8 to 11 years. All of them fell within the AAMD classification of the profoundly retarded. Two of them could only say some words and follow simple instructions, but others couldn't speak and follow simple instructions. Three of them could not dress themselves and were not toilet-trained. All of them manifested such behavior disorders as smearing feces, self-in jurous behaviors, rumination and stereotypy. All seemed to be able to feed themselves with a spoon, but, without close supervision, they presented such various misbehaviors as stealing food from others' trays, feeding with fingers, slopping foods, etc. The training was carried out in a training room through 39 training sessions, which consisted of the baseline period (10 sessions) and the training period (29 sessions). During the training period, verbal castigation "Dame" which ment "No", and the tray removal (timeout) for 15 seconds were given contingently upon every food-stealing from others' trays and every interference with others' activities in mealtime. And verbal approval "Jyozune" which ment "Fine" , and patting on subject's head were following every two spontaneous spoon-using responses. If the antisocial responses occured during the timeout period, the subject was covered with a camisole. In the latter half of the training period, the procedure of manual guidance for spoon-using of the boy S and the timeout procedure for the feeding with fingers of the boy B were added, because the feeding with fingers of the two boys were in high occurence rate. The results were as follows: 1) Through the training, the decrease of antisocial responses in mealtime was observed in all subjects, but the trends of decrease were varied with subjects, ie., remarkable decrease was observed in two subjects and a little decrease was in other two subjects. 2) As a result of training by the timeout procedure for the boy B, the feeding with fingers was faded and the spontaneous spoon-using was remarkable improved.As a result of training by the manual guidance procedure for the boy S, the feeding with fingers was faded, but the spontaneous spoonusing was remained in the lower occurence rate. According to these results, it was concluded that the timeout procedure was effective in modifying antisocial responses of profoundly retarded boys in mealtime, but that the effectiveness varied with the subjects.

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Analysis of a questionnaire answered by cleft palate patients with speech aid S.A. and by mothers of children among same, showed the following findings. 1. 88.2% of S.A. children and 16.7% of SA adults replied they had kept wearing SA. 2. All mothere answered they had wanted children to have S.A. for improved speech, notwithstanding a certain dislike expressed by the children themselves. 3.77%, of SA children and 67% of mothers and adult patients thought that improved speech would result from receiving SA, and 47% of SA children, 57% of the mothers and 50% of the adults felt they would be disappointed if speech did not improve with SA. Moreover, 30% of children and 63% of mothers had believed beforehand that it "would feel strange to wear a SA." 4. Post-evaluation found the majority of mothers and SA children satisfied but adults evenly divided about SA value. 5. SA children and mothers tended to recognize SA value with use, however adults saw less value from actual use. 6. 85% of SA children acknowledged speech improvement in 3 months, and this period is suggested as suitable for diagnosis of clinical applicability. 7. 64.3% of mothers evaluated SA child improvement exactly as did the speech therapist; 14.3% rated recovery higher than the therapist, 21.4% evaluated it lower. 8. 35.5% of mothers wished SA to be put in again while 25.8% hoped their child would continue to wear SA. The remainder did not know whether to continue SA or have it put in again or not. 9. Despite unfavorable comments by the children wearing SA, they kept wearing it. 10. Some improvements in SA were looked for by 11.8% of SA children, 3.5.3% of mothers, and 16.7% of adults.

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