Facial motion capture is a technology used in computer animation to simulate the facial expressions of real people when creating animated characters for video games or movies. By converting facial movements into a digital database, based on specific reference points on an actor’s face, a more realistic animated character can be created.
Now, a new study by researchers at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development shows that facial motion capture can be used to distinguish between children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) and those with various other speech impairments. CAS, a type of motor speech disorder, is characterized by deficits in planning and executing the precise movements required for creating speech sounds. CAS causes delayed speech development as well as atypical patterns of speech. Children with CAS progress much slower during speech therapy than children with other speech impairments.
