
To summarize: There's no definitive answer, but when you’re scoring the SSI, count a disfluency as a moment of stuttering if it seems that the person is stuck. If it seems that the person is just thinking, or if it’s some other type of disfluency, then consider a non-stuttered disfluency and don’t count it in the SSI.
How do you count disfluency?
The key with doing a disfluency count is the consistency with which you code things. Make sure you are not switching between words and syllables in your count. Choose a method and go with it. The same holds true for stuttering-like versus non-stuttering like disfluencies.
What is fluency and disfluency?
Fluency refers to continuity, smoothness, rate, and effort in speech production. All speakers are disfluent at times. They may hesitate when speaking, use fillers (“like” or “uh”), or repeat a word or phrase. These are called typical disfluencies or nonfluencies.
What are typical disfluencies or nonfluencies?
They may hesitate when speaking, use fillers (“like” or “uh”), or repeat a word or phrase. These are called typical disfluencies or nonfluencies.
How many words are in a sentence with one disfluency?
This one would be 4 words (e.g., "Devastator the favor on") plus 1 Interjection plus 1 word ("nevermind"). For the utterance: 6 "words" with 1 disfluency

What is normal disfluency percentage?
Developmental Levels of DisfluencyLevel of DysfluencyCore BehaviorsSecondary BehaviorsNormal DisfluencyDisfluency less than 10% of the time 1 to 2 repetitions per instance Slow, even behaviorsNone4 more rows
How do you count stuttering events?
The best we can do, if we're trying to count stutters, is to count the behaviors that most commonly co-occur with the speaker's perception that he is stuttering. Again, this brings us to the part-word repetitions, prolongations, and blocks, rather than the interjections, revisions, and hesitations.
How do you calculate weighted SLD?
The weighted SLD is computed by summing PW and SS repetitions per 100 syllables of speech and then multiplying this value by the mean number of PW and SS RUs combined. This value is added to twice the sum of blocks and prolongations (collectively called as DPs).
What is disfluency in NLP?
Disfluency de- tection is most often used as a preprocessing step for NLP, where the goal is removal of the non-fluent word sequences.
How do you calculate syllables per second?
For each fragment count the exact number of syllables. Divide the number of syllables by the number of seconds the fragment takes. Take the average of the five numbers that result from this.
How do you do a stuttering severity instrument?
1:1210:01Stuttering Severity Instrument - 4 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTest administration the SSI four should be administered in a well-lit quiet. Room with a table andMoreTest administration the SSI four should be administered in a well-lit quiet. Room with a table and chairs set up a device should be set up to record speech samples.
What does disfluency mean?
A speech disfluency is any disruption in the flow of spoken language that is caused by the speaker. Types of speech disfluencies include stuttering and hesitations, as well as the fillers people insert to avoid awkward pauses while they find their next words and perhaps ensure there is no opening to allow interruption.
What does the SSI 4 measure?
SSI-4 measures stuttering severity in both children and adults in the four areas of speech behavior: Frequency (expressed in percent syllables stutterd and converted to the scale scores of 2-18) Duration (times to the nearest one tenth of a second and converted to scale scores of 2-18)
What are stuttering like disfluencies?
Or, we may say a sound or word more than once. These are called disfluencies. People who stutter may have more disfluencies and different types of disfluencies. They may repeat parts of words (repetitions), stretch a sound out for a long time (prolongations), or have a hard time getting a word out (blocks).
What is the difference between Disfluency and Dysfluency?
' While 'disfluent' feigns at being objective and sterile, 'dysfluent' recognizes that when we stutter we are not simply performing a lack, but we are transgressing the entire moral code of how society expects us to speak. To stutter is to disobey, to overstep the narrow boundaries of able-bodied speech.
What is cognitive Disfluency?
As counterpart of fluency, the concept of disfluency refers to the metacognitive experience of ease or difficulty associated with completing a mental task. If task completion is perceived as easy or fluent, one often uses heuristics and intuitions to process information.
What is it called when you say UM in a speech?
When you use a filler word such as “um,” you are thinking verbally. In other words, you are verbalizing your thought process. Armed with this information, it is easy to realize that the best way to avoid using filler words is to pause. If you are not speaking, you can't say “um”!
What are interjections in stuttering?
Adding a sound or word, called an interjection – "I um need to go home." Repeating whole words – "Cookies cookies and milk." Repeating phrases – "He is–he is 4 years old." Changing the words in a sentence, called revision – "I had–I lost my tooth."
What is unambiguous stuttering?
UNAMBIGUOUS STUTTERING. Acknowledge “A little bump then.” “That was a bit bumpy.” “That was a stuck word.” Request self correction “Can you try that again?” “Can you say [stuttered word] smoothly?” “See if you can say that without the bump.” Some essential things about parent verbal contingencies.
Question
I have a student with autism that I am assessing. I have transcribed a speech sample to assess his fluency. I'm having difficulty determining how many syllables/words are in some sections for scoring. For example, on a couple of occasions the student aban
Answer
I have a student with autism that I am assessing. I have transcribed a speech sample to assess his fluency. I'm having difficulty determining how many syllables/words are in some sections for scoring.
What is fluency disorder?
A fluency disorder is an interruption in the flow of speaking characterized by atypical rate, rhythm, and disfluencies (e.g., repetitions of sounds, syllables, words, and phrases; sound prolongations; and blocks), which may also be accompanied by excessive tension, speaking avoidance, struggle behaviors, and secondary mannerisms (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association [ASHA], 1993). People with fluency disorders also frequently experience psychological, emotional, social, and functional impacts as a result of their communication disorder (Tichenor & Yaruss, 2019a).
What are the effects of fluency?
People with fluency disorders also frequently experience psychological, emotional, social, and functional impacts as a result of their communication disorder (Tichenor & Yaruss, 2019a).
What is the meaning of "fluency" in speech?
Fluency refers to continuity, smoothness, rate, and effort in speech production. All speakers are disfluent at times. They may hesitate when speaking, use fillers (“like” or “uh”), or repeat a word or phrase. These are called typical disfluencies or nonfluencies.
Does speech fluency improve when slowing down?
Speech clarity and fluency may temporarily improve when the person is asked to slow down or pay attention to their speech. These should be considered during differential diagnosis but should not be the sole therapeutic strategies.
What does 3% syllables mean?
Like so many questions surrounding stuttering, the answer turns out to be somewhat complicated! Historically, people have used various set values, such as 3% syllables stuttered or a 10% overall disfluency rate to indicate that a person’s speech fluency was above or below normal limits.
Is stuttering frequency count reliable?
Ample literature has shown that without training, clinicians are not terribly reliable and making stuttering frequency count judgments. Fortunately, research also shows that training can help!
Can clinicians make stuttering frequency counts?
Ample literature has shown that without training, clinicians are not terribly reliable and making stuttering frequency count judgments. Fortunately, research also shows that training can help! If you find that you do need to make frequency counts, you can improve your ability to do that by taking courses on stuttering measurement. (For example, I have a series of courses on stuttering measurement at MedBridge Education. Using this link, you can save $175 on your annual MedBridge subscription! www.MedBridgeEducation.com/scott-yaruss ).
Is there a predetermined frequency of stuttering?
There’s so much more to be said on the topic of stuttering measurement, but the most important piece to remember is this: there really is NO predetermined or set frequency of stuttering or disfluency behavior that tells us whether a speaker needs therapy. We need to consider factors other than just the observable frequency of stuttering when determining whether a person who stutters needs therapy, making decisions about the nature of that therapy, and examining their progress in therapy.
What is fluency calculator?
Fluency Calc is a powerful fluency assessment app, designed to collect the maximum amount of clinically useful information while remaining intuitive to use. Stop using a calculator for your fluency assessments and get a tool that does the work for you!
What is dual calculation mode?
Dual calculation modes allowing the clinician to rate syllables in real-time or to count syllables first, then add dysfluencies (when using an audio or video recording)
Is it appropriate to count an interjection as part of a moment of stuttering?
Of course, this is not as simple as it sounds. What if the person is using the interjections as a way of hiding actual moments of stuttering that are felt under-the-surface? In that case, it might be appropriate to count an interjection as part of a moment of stuttering.
Do you count interjections as stuttering?
So, most of the time, you will not count those interjections as part of stuttering on the SSI — unless it's clear that the person is really stuck when producing them. To summarize: There's no definitive answer, but when you’re scoring the SSI, count a disfluency as a moment of stuttering if it seems that the person is stuck.
Can you count disfluency on SSI?
To summarize: There's no definitive answer, but when you’re scoring the SSI, count a disfluency as a moment of stuttering if it seems that the person is stuck. If it seems that the person is just thinking, or if it’s some other type of disfluency, then consider a non-stuttered disfluency and don’t count it in the SSI.
