{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,24]],"date-time":"2026-10-24T01:19:39Z","timestamp":1792804779466,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,27]],"date-time":"2021-03-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1616803200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Intl J Lang &amp; Comm Disor"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,5]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Successful communication is vital to quality of life. One group commonly facing speech and communication difficulties is individuals with intellectual disability (ID). A novel route to encourage clear speech is offered by mainstream smart speakers (e.g., Amazon Alexa and Google Home). Smart speakers offer four factors important for learning: reward immediacy, spaced practice, autonomy\/intrinsic motivation and reduced social barriers. Yet the potential of smart speakers to improve speech intelligibility has not been explored before.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Aims<\/jats:title><jats:p>To determine whether providing individuals with intellectual disabilities with smart speaker devices improved ratings of speech intelligibility for (1) phrases related to device use and (2) unrelated words via a semi\u2010randomized controlled trial.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods &amp; Procedures<\/jats:title><jats:p>In a semi\u2010randomized controlled trial, an intervention group of adults with ID (<jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic> = 21) received smart speakers, while a control group (<jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic> = 22) did not. Before and after about 12 weeks, participants were recorded saying smart speaker\u2010related phrases and unrelated words. Na\u00efve participants then rated the intelligibility of the speech recordings.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Outcomes &amp; Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>The group that received smart speakers made significantly larger intelligibility gains than the control group. Although the effect size was modest, this difference was found for both smart speaker\u2010related phrases and unrelated words.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions &amp; Implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>While the mechanism of action remains to be determined, the presence of smart speakers in the home had a demonstrable impact on ratings of speech intelligibility, and could provide cost\u2010effective inclusive support for speech and communication improvement, improving the quality of life of vulnerable populations.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:label\/><jats:p>\n<jats:boxed-text content-type=\"box\" position=\"anchor\"><jats:caption><jats:title>What this paper adds<\/jats:title><\/jats:caption><jats:sec><jats:title>What is already known on the subject<\/jats:title><jats:p><jats:list list-type=\"bullet\">\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>Speech intelligibility is a key obstacle for social relationships and quality of life across several vulnerable populations (children with speech difficulties, older adults with dementia, individuals with ID). Anecdotal reports suggest mainstream smart speakers (e.g., Amazon Alexa, Google Home), could improve speech intelligibility.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item><\/jats:list><\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>What this paper adds to existing knowledge<\/jats:title><jats:p><jats:list list-type=\"bullet\">\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>We used a semi\u2010randomized controlled trial to show that using a smart speaker for about 12 weeks could improve ratings of speech intelligibility in adults with ID for both smart speaker\u2010related phrases and unrelated words.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item><\/jats:list><\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?<\/jats:title><jats:p><jats:list list-type=\"bullet\">\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>These initial findings suggest that smart speaker technology could be a novel, and inclusive, route to improving speech intelligibility in vulnerable populations.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item><\/jats:list><\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><\/jats:boxed-text><\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/1460-6984.12615","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,27]],"date-time":"2021-03-27T11:41:25Z","timestamp":1616845285000},"page":"583-593","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":44,"title":["Smart speaker devices can improve speech intelligibility in adults with intellectual disability"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"56","author":[{"given":"Elizabeth","family":"Smith","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology Cardiff University  Cardiff UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Petroc","family":"Sumner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology Cardiff University  Cardiff UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Craig","family":"Hedge","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology Cardiff University  Cardiff UK"},{"name":"Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) Cardiff University  Cardiff UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6793-0446","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Georgina","family":"Powell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology Cardiff University  Cardiff UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_8_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1744629506067618"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_3_1","first-page":"557","volume-title":"In Intelligent Environments (Workshops)","author":"Ballati F.","year":"2018"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.18637\/jss.v067.i01"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_5_1","volume-title":"Bercow: Ten Years On: An independent review of provision for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs in England","author":"Bercow J.","year":"2018"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2012.0468"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2788.2001.00318.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1901\/jaba.1993.26-173"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12875-015-0329-3"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1159\/000450548"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-0663.73.5.642"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-012102570-0\/50011-2"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_13_1","unstructured":"Denman A.andJones V. 2019 Hey Google: can using a smart speaker improve intelligibility?(Poster presentation).Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Conference Nottingham UK."},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_2_8_14_1","first-page":"16","article-title":"Evaluating Intelligent Personal Assistants for L2 Listening and Speaking Development","volume":"24","author":"Dizon G.","year":"2020","journal-title":"Language Learning & Technology"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dunn L. 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