Prosody in Speech-Language Pathology

Prosodic impairments occur in many clinical populations, including those with autism and motor speech disorders. These impairments can negatively impact intelligibility and an individual’s ability to signal and understand linguistic contrasts and emotions.

For this study, we surveyed 245 Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) to assess their clinical practices regarding prosody and identify potential barriers to addressing prosody in the clinic.

While most respondents agreed that prosody was within their scope of practice, they reported that they rarely assessed or treated prosody when they suspected that a client had a prosodic impairment. Overall, respondents felt they lacked knowledge of prosody’s nature, experience with clients who have prosodic impairments, and knowledge of assessment and treatment methods for prosody.

Recommendations include increasing training opportunities, encouraging collaboration between researchers and SLPs with expertise in prosody, and developing a clinically feasible prosody assessment.