Pascal van Lieshout, Ph.D.

My area of expertise is oral motor control, in particular the 'interface' between higher-order processes (cognition, language) and motor control in speech and swallowing. My main theoretical interest is in Dynamical Systems Theory (DST) and the way it can be applied to speech and swallowing (Van Lieshout, 2004). Specically, in the area of stuttering, I have applied DST principles to argue for the notion that individuals who stutter are at the low end of a normal speech motor skill continuum, similar to how people differ in other motor skills. This limited skill set is especially problematic in handling the complexities of everyday speech, as related to cognitive, emotional, and linguistic requirements (Van Lieshout, Hulstijn & Peters, 2004). I focus on multi-dimensional aspects of oral motor control using a variety of instrumental techniques were appropriate. I was among the first group of researchers using the German Electromagnetic Midsagittal Articulograph system (EMMA, AG100), a unique piece of equipment to monitor and record movements of lips, jaw, and tongue during the execution of speech and (most recently) swallowing tasks. In the Oral Dynamics Lab, I work with a 3D version (AG500) system, whereas in my lab at the Human Communication Lab in the department of Psychology at the University of Toronto in Mississauga, I work with the older 2D AG100 system.