October 23, 2015
Forms of Expression through Voice
Can you imagine trying to express yourself through verbal communication, but not being understood by other people? This summer I gained perspectives of the challenges that people with communication disorders face in their everyday lives through being a research intern at the Communication Analysis and Design Laboratory (Cadlab) at Northeastern University. The lab aims to better understand communication in typically developing speakers and speakers with neuromotor speech impairments. In addition, the lab creates technology that assists in verbal communication. As a summer intern, I acquired knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of speech, various speech disorders, and the role of prosody, the spoken melody of speech. I assisted in multiple stages of the research process such as using computer software to parse and phonetically analyze disordered and typical speech. I also observed speech therapy sessions at the Northeastern University Clinic which provided me with a perspective of how research in the lab is applied to helping speakers communicate. My experience at the Cadlab enabled me to work within a team of researchers while gaining perspectives on the process of how people communicate through language.
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