Ongoing Studies

The Vocal Tract Development Laboratory studies the development of the mouth and throat structures in typically and atypically developing individuals. The purpose is to understand how changes in the anatomy of the mouth and throat affect the production and perception of speech sounds. We use a variety of methods to approach this goal including:

• Taking measurements from medical imaging studies such as CT or MRI scans.
• Asking volunteer participants to breathe into a tube (Pharyngometer) to measure the inside of the mouth and throat using the reflection of sound waves.
• Recording participants' speech and analyzing the speech waveforms.
• Asking participants to listen to recorded speech and type what they hear.

How you can get involved

You can help by choosing to participate in one of our ongoing studies! If you are interested in participating, or are a parent, guardian, or family member of an individual with or without Down syndrome and are interested in research participation, please follow the links below for more information.