COMPUTER BASED SPEECH TRAINER FOR THE DEAF

Abstract

Hearing. impairment causes a major obstacle for the deaf in the acquisition of ` _ language and speech. Prelingual deafness has impact on all aspects of their lives and particularly on their education. Although speech deficiency of the deaf can be improved by giving them speech therapy from highly skilled speech therapist, the main problem is that there is acute shortage of highly skilled manpower and they have very limited amount of time available with them. Thus other means are required for alleviating the deficiency of speech communication of the deaf and subsequently to help them in _getting their education and to make them suitable for near normal life in society. "Computer Based Speech Trainer for the Deaf", is one of the solutions for this problem. This : _dissertation deals with the speech -articulation, speech characteristics, specific problems with the . speech - of deaf- and ' their solutions. It also deals with the speech training methods including "Computer Based Speech Trainer". In this dissertation _,-a- software based speech data "acquisition and training system has . been developed. The details are provided in terms of flow chart of "different steps used in training The listing of the software is given is in the"Appendix-ll, The utility of different programmes developed are also explained. The software has also the provision for analysis for speech in terms- of energy and amplitude at different frequencies or in different frequency bands. The test - results for different cases- of training and analysis are also provided. The outcome of the work is of sufficient utility to help the 'deaf-persons of all ages and groups.