THE AIM OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WAS TO IDENTIFY THE ARTICULATORY INACCURACY PROFILES OF CHILDREN ACCORDING TO THE ETIOLOGY OF THE CONDITION PRODUCING THE SPEECH DIFFICULTY. DURING THE FIRST PHASE OF THE RESEARCH, A BATTERY OF TESTS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE ARTICULATORY PATTERNS, VERBAL INTELLIGENCE, AND AUDITORY PERCEPTION OF NORMAL CHILDREN WAS PREPARED AND TESTED. THE SECOND PHASE OF THE RESEARCH WAS DEVOTED TO A STUDY OF THE ARTICULATORY ERRORS OF THREE EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS OF CHILDREN WITH SPEECH PROBLEMS STEMMING FROM DEVELOPMENTAL LAGS, FROM MENTAL RETARDATION, AND FROM AN OPERATED CLEFT PALATE OR CONGENITALLY SHORT PALATE. THE DATA COLLECTED FROM BOTH PHASES OF THE STUDY REVEALED THAT THE ARTICULATORY PROFILES DERIVED FOR CHILDREN WITH DIFFERENT ETIOLOGIES ARE EACH DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER AND READILY IDENTIFIABLE AS THE PROFILE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE ETIOLOGY OF THE DISORDER. THE GROUP CONSIDERED AS SUFFERING FROM DEVELOPMENTAL LAGS WAS FOUND TO HAVE ARTICULATORY ERROR PROFILES IDENTICAL WITH THE NORMAL POPULATION AND THEREFORE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF THAT GROUP. (WB)