Speech Research Laboratory
Redefining How Children Communicate
The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Speech Research Laboratory (SRL) in the Delaware Valley pioneers new ways to understand, measure, and support speech in children with communication challenges. Our work brings together speech science, technology, and clinical care, using advanced computing to open new possibilities for children who cannot rely on natural speech alone.
Our research focuses on children with speech and hearing differences, including speech delay, cleft lip and palate, hearing impairment, cerebral palsy, autism, and Down syndrome. We study how speech develops and how technology can support communication when natural speech is limited or lost.
As part of the Center for Pediatric Auditory & Speech Sciences (CPASS), the lab advances both foundational speech science and real-world applications. Our work helps clinicians better assess speech differences while expanding communication options that support learning and independence over a lifetime.
Principal Investigator
H. Timothy Bunnell, PhD
Director, Center for Pediatric Auditory & Speech Sciences
Principal Research Scientist
Research Team
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR RESEARCH
- Research Interests
- Notable Projects
- Our Services
- Awards & Support
Our Areas of Focus
Speech Analysis & Recognition
We develop computational tools to study how children produce speech. This work improves how speech clarity, timing, and patterns are measured, supporting more objective and reliable clinical assessment.
Speech Synthesis & Assistive Communication
Our research advances synthetic speech systems that support children who cannot rely on natural speech. We focus on creating expressive voices that preserve individuality rather than generic computer-generated output.
Pediatric Speech & Language Development
We study how speech and language develop and how genetic, neurological, or structural conditions disrupt that process. This research helps explain why outcomes vary and how technology can best support care.
Technology-Driven Environment
Our lab is designed for precise speech recording and listening in accessible, controlled settings. These spaces support high-quality data collection across a wide range of speech abilities.
We use machine learning to analyze speech and generate personalized synthetic voices from real recordings. Together, these capabilities help translate speech science into tools that support diagnosis, therapy, and communication.
Research Highlights
ModelTalker® Voice Banking
ModelTalker began as a research effort to address a core challenge in assistive communication: most synthetic voices do not sound like the person using them. Our research focuses on how speech can be captured, modeled, and regenerated in ways that preserve identity and expressiveness.
Unlike pre-recorded message systems, ModelTalker uses recorded speech to create a flexible synthetic voice that can generate new language over time.
Current research explores how to make voice banking possible for more children, including those who cannot record large speech samples. This includes improving voice quality and supporting speech that may be inconsistent or difficult to capture.
Speech Genetics Research
The lab also studies genetic factors associated with childhood speech delay. By combining genetic data with speech analysis, this work aims to clarify why speech development varies across children and how early differences might be identified more precisely. Over time, these insights may support earlier diagnosis and more tailored intervention strategies.
Services We Offer
The Speech Research Laboratory makes select research-developed tools available to families and clinicians when they are ready to support real-world communication needs.
ModelTalker Voice Banking
Voice banking gives individuals the option to create or select a personal synthetic voice for use with speech-generating devices. This can be especially meaningful for children who may lose speech over time or who rely on alternative communication.
How to Access
Visit Ìýand register to begin the process. Users can record their own voice or choose from available donated voices.
Cost & Support
- $100 to create a personalized synthetic voice from recordings.
- The fee is charged only when the voice is downloaded.
- Financial assistance may be available through charitable partners listed on the website.
- $10 for pre-made donated voices.
ModelTalker voices are compatible with many commonly used speech-generating devices and communication applications.
Grant Funding
The Speech Research Laboratory has received support from federal agencies to advance speech technology and translational research.
This funding reflects sustained contributions to understanding speech development and creating tools that expand communication options for children with speech and language differences. Recent awards include:
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program R41 GrantÌý| Next-Generation Expressive Personalized Voices for Speech-Generating Devices (2019-2021) | Bunnell, H.T. (MPI)
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Compounding Dividends on Voice Banking (2019-2022) | Bunnell, H.T. (PI)
Understanding Prosody and Tone Interactions through Documentation of Endangered Languages (2014-2017) | Dicanio, C. (PI) ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Subaward
Research in Context
Our lab contributes to research that informs pediatric care and connects to broader areas of scientific study at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½.
Assistive Technology
CLINICAL CARE
Supportive technologies and services that help children with communication and mobility needs participate more fully in daily life.
Audiology & Hearing
CLINICAL CARE
Complete evaluation and care for children with hearing loss and auditory processing differences, by ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ pediatric audiology specialists.
Center for Pediatric Auditory & Speech Sciences
DELAWARE VALLEY
Our researchers conduct basic and applied research on pediatric speech, language, and hearing to improve outcomes and support lifelong development.
Speech & Language Therapy
CLINICAL CARE
Pediatric speech-language pathologists offer assessment and therapy for kids with speech, language, and communication challenges.
Voice Program
CLINICAL CARE
Specialized care for children with voice disorders, combining clinical expertise and advanced evaluation in the Delaware Valley.