Background: Speech sound disorders (SSDs) are broadly defined as difficulty producing speech sounds in childhood. Reported prevalence of SSD varies from 2.3% to 24.6%, depending on how SSD is defined and the included age range. SSDs that do not resolve before age 8 can have a lasting impact on a child's academic achievements. The intensity of…

Purpose: The speech of some children does not follow a typical normalization trajectory, and they develop speech sound disorders (SSD). This study investigated predictive correlates of speech sound normalization in children who were at risk of SSD. Method: A prospective population cohort study of 845 Cantonese-speaking preschoolers was conducted…

Clinical Question: In speech intervention via telepractice for preschool and school-age children with speech sound disorders (SSD), is treatment intensity similar to or different from that of traditional in-person therapy for optimal treatment results? Method: Systematic Review. Study Sources: PubMed, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC),…

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of preschoolers with speech sound disorder (SSD) and with typical speech and language development (TD) to understand foreign-accented words, providing a window into the quality of their underlying phonological representations. We also investigated the relationship between vocabulary…

Purpose: Speech and language disorders can negatively affect preschool children's communicative participation skills. Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six-34 (FOCUS-34) is a valid and reliable scale that evaluates communicative participation in preschool children with speech and language disorders. This study aimed to establish the…

Background: The conversational speech of most children can be understood by people outside the family by the time they reach 4 years. However, for some children, speech sound disorders (SSDs) persist into their early school years, and beyond, despite adequate hearing, oromotor function, and language learning opportunities. One explanation for…

Children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) often present motor co-ordination difficulties accompanying their speech and sound delays. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a paired versus a small group gross motor intervention on selected pre-school children, pre-identified with CAS. Children pre-identified with…

Purpose: This study explores the role of overt and covert contrasts in speech perception by children with speech sound disorder (SSD). Method: Three groups of preschool-aged children (typically developing speech and language [TD], SSD with /s/~/?/ contrast [SSD-contrast], and SSD with /s/~/?/ collapse [SSD-collapse]) completed an identification…

Aims: To describe typical phonological development of Brazilian Portuguese (BP)-speaking children, considering the following parameters: age of customary production, acquisition and mastery. Methods & Procedures: Data were collected from 857 children aged between 3 years and 8 years 11 months with typical language and speech development. The…

Ohio's public schools provide special education services to children with disabilities as early as preschool. Every year, the Ohio Department of Education reports the number of preschool children who received state-funded special education services during the previous year. The 2020-2021 school year had an overall decrease of 2,549 (10.91 percent)…

Clinical Question: Would a bilingual preschooler with suspected speech sound disorder (P) be more accurately diagnosed via an assessment approach that integrates sociolinguistic information (I) or via standardized assessment with traditional scoring modifications (C) as shown by diagnostic compatibility with the converging concern approach (O)?…

There is increasing literature showing that the presentation of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) could be different according to the sex of the patient. Through the analysis of the Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised interview results of a study group consisting of 56 preschool children diagnosed with ASD potential differences in the presentation of…

Covert contrast is the statistically reliable distinction between target language phonemes produced in the process of language acquisition that is nevertheless not perceived by a native speaker of that language. This paper examines the acquisition of contrasts in four Najdi Arabic fricatives, /s/, /[voiceless palato-alveolar fricative]/,…

Background: Treatment outcome data for children with severe speech sound disorders with motor speech involvement (SSD-MSI) are derived from Phase I clinical research studies. These studies have demonstrated positive improvements in speech production. Currently there is no research examining the optimal treatment dose frequency for this population.…

Background: Phonological difficulties are prevalent in children with speech and/or language disorders and may hamper their later language outcomes and academic achievements. These children often form a significant proportion of speech and language therapists' caseloads. There is a shortage of information on evidence-based interventions for…