Dr Sally Bates

• PhD in Phonetics, University of Edinburgh
• MSc in General Linguistics, University of Edinburgh
• MA (Hons) in German Language and Literature, University of St Andrews
• BA (Hons) Speech and Language Therapy, College of St Mark and St John

• Linguistics
• Phonetics and phonology
• Clinical linguistics and phonetics
• Psycholinguistics
• Child language acquisition
• Early literacy development
• Developmental Language Disorder
• Developmental Speech Sound Disorder

Sally's research interests include:

• Phonetic transcription and phonological analysis skill development
• Evidence based assessment of child speech 
• Vowel disorders
• Language testing and clinical syntactic profiling
• Phonological awareness and early literacy development 
• e-learning

Journal Articles

Waine, H., Bates, S., Oh, T. & Frizelle, P. 2023. UK Speech and Language Therapists’ assessment of children’s expressive language, functional impairment and impact, following the CATALISE publications. International Journal of Language and Communication Difficulties. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12883

Morgan, L., Overton, S., Bates, S., Titterington, J. & Wren, Y. 2021. Making the case for the collection of a minimal data set for children with speech sound disorder. International Journal of Language and Communication Difficulties, 56(5). https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12649 

Titterington, J. & Bates, S. 2017. Practice makes perfect? The pedagogic value of online independent phonetic transcription practice for speech and language therapy students Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699206.2017.1350882

Bates, S. & Watson, J. 2011. Consonant-vowel Interactions in developmental phonological disorder. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 30 (1). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.1995.tb01687.x

Harris, J., Watson, J. M. M. & Bates, S. A. R. 1999.  Prosody and Melody in Vowel Disorder.  Journal of Linguistics. 35(3). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022226799007902

Book Chapters

Bates, S., Watson, J., Heselwood, B. & Howard, S. (Forthcoming). Phonetic transcription in clinical practice. In Ball, M., Muller, N. & Spencer, L. (Eds) Handbook of Clinical Linguistics (2nd edn). Wiley.

Titterington, J. & Bates, S. 2021. Teaching and learning clinical phonetic transcription.  In Ball, M. (Ed) Manual of Clinical Phonetics. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429320903 

Bates, S. & Clark, A. 2014.  Syntax.  In Knight, R. and Muller, N. (Eds) Methods in Teaching Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics. J&R Press.

Bates, S., Watson, J. & Scobbie, J.M. 2013. Context-conditioned error patterns in disordered systems. In Gibbon F & Ball, M. (Eds) Handbook of Vowels and Vowel Disorders, Psychology Press.

Bates, S. & Watson, J. 2012. Working with children with specific speech impairment. In Kersner M and Wright J (Eds) Speech and Language Therapy: the decision making process when working with children (2nd edn) Taylor and Francis.

Harris, J., Watson, J. & Bates, S.A.R.  2009. Prosody and melody in vowel disorder.  In T. Powell & M. Ball (Eds) Clinical Linguistics: Critical Concepts in Linguistics, Routledge.

Good Practice Guidelines

The Child Speech Disorder Research Network. 2017. Good Practice Guidelines for the Analysis of Child Speech. https://www.researchgate.net/project/Child-Speech-Disorder-Research-Network-Good-Practice-Guidelines-for-Transcription-and-Analysis-of-Child-Speech

The Child Speech Disorder Research Network. 2017. Good Practice Guidelines for Transcription of Children's Speech Samples in Clinical Practice and Research. https://www.rcslt.org/docs/free-pub/transcription_children_speech

Online Resources

Bates, S. & Watson, J. 2012. PPSA (Phonetic and Phonological Systems Analysis). Retrieved from www.qmu.ac.uk/ppsa/.  Charting tool with User Guide to assist the analysis and interpretation of phonetic transcription data published under a Creative Commons Licence.

Bates, S.A.R. & Watson, J.M.M. 2011. Child as Listener and Speaker Part (1): Non-verbal aspects of communication.   Speech Language and Communication Needs, Healthy Child Programme 0-5, e-Learning for Healthcare, NHS Health Education England.

Bates, S.A.R. & Watson, J.M.M. 2011. Child as Listener and Speaker Part (2): Verbal aspects of communication,.  Speech Language and Communication Needs, Healthy Child Programme 0-5, e-Learning for Healthcare, NHS Health Education England.

Bates, S. & Watson, J. 2011. Communication Impairments Part 1: Late Talking Toddlers & Specific Language Impairment and Part 2: Specific Speech Impairment Speech, Language and Communication Needs, Healthy Child Project, E-Learning for Healthcare, DH and RCPCH.

Bates, S. & Oates, J. 2011. Typical Language Development 2, Speech Language and Communication Needs, Healthy Child Project, E-Learning for Healthcare, DH and RCPCH.

Bates, S., Matthews, B., and Eagles, A. (2010). Webfon phonetic transcription self-study programme.  Retrieved from http://elearning.marjon.ac.uk\ptsp\    

Conference Presentations

The RAPT Unwrapped. Bates, S. and Stewart, J. 2017. RCSLT Conference 2017 Speech and Language Therapy: Maximising Impact. Glasgow.

Motivation for Success: Increasing hours of practice for Speech and Language Therapy students learning phonetic transcription using online independent resources. Titterington, J. and Bates, S. 2017. RCSLT Conference 2017 Speech and Language Therapy: Maximising Impact. Glasgow.

Speech Analysis: what, when and why? A comparison of two analysis tools. 2017. Bates, S. and Titterington, J. RCSLT Conference 2017 Speech and Language Therapy: Maximising Impact.

Developing guidelines to support good practice in children's speech disorders: The Child Speech Disorder Research Network. 2017. Uk and Ireland Child Speech Disorder Network.  RCSLT Conference 2017 Speech and Language Therapy: Maximising Impact.  Glasgow.

Intervention for Vowel Disorders.  Bates, S. 2016.  Primary Care and Public Health Conference, NEC Birmingham (Invited Speaker).

It’s easy for you to say but analysing speech sound disorders can be complex’.  Bates, S. & Titterington, J. 2016. 30^th World Congress of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics, Dublin.

Research in developmental speech impairment: What questions should we be asking?  Wren, Y., Sell, D., Hesketh, A., Bates, S., Joffe, V., Broomfield, J., & Speake, J.  2014.  RCSLT Mind the Gap: Putting Research into Practice Conference, University of Leeds.

Adding clinical value using the PPSA: supplementing phonological screening data in a systematic and principled way.  Bates, S. & Cragg, L.  2014.  In, 15^th International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association Conference, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm.

Methods in teaching clinical linguistics and phonetics.  Knight, R., Whitworth, N., Bates, S., Dipper, L. & Setter, J. 2014.  In, 15^th International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association Conference, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm.

Bates, S. 2013. Supporting a system-wide view as the basis of principled clinical decision-making in SSI.  A cost-benefit analysis using the PPSA.  5^th Colloquium of the British Association of Clinical Linguistics, Newcastle University.

The development of good practice guidelines for the transcription of children’s speech samples in clinical practice and research.  Bates, S., Hesketh, A., Speake, J. & Wren, Y. 2012.  In, 14^th International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association Conference, University of Cork.

Sound Sensitising: a diagnostic therapy resource for children with speech and literacy difficulties.  Bates, S. & Watson, J.M.M. 2011.  Colloquium of British Association of Clinical Linguists, Sheffield University.

Vowels in Specific Speech Impairment.  Bates, S. & Watson, J.M.M. 2011. Colloquium of British Association of Clinical Linguists, Sheffield University.

Developing Through Play: A Multimedia Professional Development Package.  Arreckx, F. Bates, S. A. R., Canning, N. & Oates, J. 2009.  The British Psychological Society Annual Developmental Psychology Conference. Nottingham Trent University.

Phonetic Transcription Self-study Programme: an Innovative New Approach to Teaching Phonetic Transcription.  Bates, S. A. R. 2009.  Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Scientific Conference.  Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre, London.

Phonetic Transcription Self-study Programme. Bates, S. A. R. 2008.   Colloquium of British Association of Clinical Linguists.  Reading University.

Books

Early Soundplay Series, Clickety Books Ltd

Jake's Cakes, Chatty Bat, Clip Clop's Picnic,

Trish the Fish, Erica's Chicks, Flo the Flamingo,

Digby the Diggedy Dog, Millie Makes a Mess, Keelo's Cookies,

Tess and Bess in the Snow, Clarabelle's Scarf, Sally the Sea Lion,

Tess and Bess in the Park, Digby's Busy Day, Shelley the Sheep. 

Registered member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and

Health Care Professionals Council,

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy,

Member of the UK and Ireland Child Speech Disorder Research Network

I am a member of the Expert Advisory Panel for the Healthy Child Programme 0-18, e-learning for healthcare resource, and co-editor of the Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) module.  The SLCN sessions, which have been endorsed by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, are designed for health visitors, family practitioners, nurses and the child health team and promote knowledge and understanding of typical SLC development as well as SLC disorders.  They also describe likely clinical management pathways associated with a wide range of conditions including Down Syndrome, Autism, Hearing Impairment and Cleft Palate.  The resource is free to all NHS employees via e-learning for healthcare www.e-lfh.org.uk.

I have been an External Examiner for the BSc in Speech and Language Therapy, University College Cork, 2018-2022; PG Dip/MSc in Cleft Palate Studies, Speech Difficulties and Speech and Cleft, University of Sheffield, 2012-2016; BSc in Speech and Language Therapy, University of East Anglia, 2011-15 and the BSc in Speech and Language Therapy, De Montfort University, 2006-09.

Having been raised on Dr Seuss (of 'foxes in socks' fame) I am a strong believer in the importance and value of sound play for early speech and literacy development.  I was therefore very excited when asked to author the Early Soundplay series for Clickety Books Ltd.  This set which now comprises fifteen ‘sound-loaded’ stories can be shared with any child aged 2;0 – 5;0 yrs or used as part of therapy programme to support children with speech and language difficulties.  The first three books: Chatty Bat, Jake’s Cakes and Clip Clop’s Picnic received a Practical Preschool Gold Award in 2014 and the second set: Erica’s Chicks, Trish the Fish and Flo the Flamingo, a Practical Preschool Silver Award in 2015. 

As well as sound play, I love cycling and in fact have composed most of the Early Soundplay stories whilst riding along the cliffs where I live.  I also love gardening and reading in the sun.