Time-by-Count Measurement of Diadochokinetic Syllable Rate

Diadochokinetic syllable rate has traditionally been assessed through counting the number of syllables spoken in a given time period. This count-by-time procedure has required two separate operations—one to measure time and the other to count syllables within time. A time-by-count strategy is proposed to enable an examiner to collect diadochokinetic measurements in sequential rather than overlapping tasks. Oscillographic and stop watch measurements, using the proposed new procedure, were generated and expressed as norms from syllable repetitions of 384 school-age children. The two measurements produced equivalent data. It was therefore concluded that the time-by-count procedure can produce accurate estimates of diadochokinetic syllable production. Additional conclusions regarding age, sex, and stimulus order are presented.