Nasometric evaluation of resonance disorders: A norm study In Turkish

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to adapt the Simplified Nasometric Assessment Procedures-Revised (SNAP-R) [1] to Turkish, gather norms from Turkish speakers, and test the sensitivity and specificity of the adapted test. Finally, this study was designed to determine if there are any differences in average nasalance scores due to age, gender, and vowel content of the passage.

Methods: 240 children without any known speech, language or hearing disorders and 40 children with cleft palate participated in the study. Participants were divided into three groups according to their age (ages 4-7; 8-12; and 13-18). Data for this descriptive study was collected in the school settings and in a center of speech and language therapy.

Results: This study showed a slight increase in nasalance with age, but no difference in nasalance based on gender. Furthermore, the nasalance score is determined by vowel content of the passage and that high vowels have higher nasalance than the low vowels.

Conclusion: This paper offers a new test for nasometric evaluation in the Turkish language, which has relatively high specificity and sensitivity in the evaluation of hypernasality.

Keywords: Cleft palate; Nasometer; Resonance disorders; Sensitivity and specificity; Turkish.