Comprehensive Assessment of Speech Sound Production in Preschool Children

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby Macrae
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Sound Production ◽  
Pattern Analysis ◽  
Target Selection ◽  
Speech Sound ◽  
Single Word ◽  
Speech Sound Disorder ◽  
Connected Speech ◽  
Speech Language Pathologist ◽  
Depth Analysis

This paper describes a comprehensive speech sound assessment for preschool children suspected of having a speech sound disorder (SSD). Recommended components include standardized single-word testing, additional single-word testing, connected speech sampling, phonological analyses, stimulability testing, and inconsistency testing. While data collection and some cursory analyses take place during the evaluation session, allowing the speech-language pathologist (SLP) to share key information with the parents/caregivers, much of the in-depth analysis takes place later. Since most preschool children's SSDs are phonological in nature, a phonological approach to analysis, target selection, and treatment is required. Two examples of phonological analyses, a place-voice-manner (PVM) analysis and an error pattern analysis, are discussed. Both allow the SLP to identify patterns of difficulty in the child's speech with regards to the place, voicing, and/or manner characteristics of target consonants. Phonological analyses can be performed using the child's single-word and connected speech samples. This information, along with the results from the stimulability and inconsistency testing, will allow the SLP to gain a complete picture of the child's speech sound abilities and difficulties, determine prognosis for change, and identify treatment targets.

scholarly journals Exploring the Overlap Between Dyslexia and Speech Sound Production Deficits

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 774-786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn L. Cabbage ◽  
Kelly Farquharson ◽  
Jenya Iuzzini-Seigel ◽  
Jennifer Zuk ◽  
Tiffany P. Hogan
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Speech Production ◽  
Sound Production ◽  
Speech Sound ◽  
Speech Sound Disorder ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Speech Language Pathologist ◽  
History Of ◽  
Production Errors

Purpose Children with dyslexia have speech production deficits in a variety of spoken language contexts. In this article, we discuss the nature of speech production errors in children with dyslexia, including those who have a history of speech sound disorder and those who do not, to familiarize speech-language pathologists with speech production–specific risk factors that may help predict or identify dyslexia in young children. Method In this tutorial, we discuss the role of a phonological deficit in children with dyslexia and how this may manifest as speech production errors, sometimes in conjunction with a speech sound disorder but sometimes not. We also briefly review other factors outside the realm of phonology that may alert the speech-language pathologist to possible dyslexia. Results Speech-language pathologists possess unique knowledge that directly contributes to the identification and remediation of children with dyslexia. We present several clinical recommendations related to speech production deficits in children with dyslexia. We also review what is known about how and when children with speech sound disorder are most at risk for dyslexia. Conclusion Speech-language pathologists have a unique opportunity to assist in the identification of young children who are at risk for dyslexia.

Reading Risk in Children With Speech Sound Disorder: Prevalence, Persistence, and Predictors

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 3714-3726
Author(s):  
Sherine R. Tambyraja ◽  
Kelly Farquharson ◽  
Laura Justice
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Sound Production ◽  
Speech Therapy ◽  
Speech Sound ◽  
Reading Difficulties ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Speech Sound Disorder ◽  
Word Decoding ◽  
School Year ◽  
School Based

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which school-age children with speech sound disorder (SSD) exhibit concomitant reading difficulties and examine the extent to which phonological processing and speech production abilities are associated with increased likelihood of reading risks. Method Data were obtained from 120 kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade children who were in receipt of school-based speech therapy services. Children were categorized as being “at risk” for reading difficulties if standardized scores on a word decoding measure were 1 SD or more from the mean. The selected predictors of reading risk included children's rapid automatized naming ability, phonological awareness (PA), and accuracy of speech sound production. Results Descriptive results indicated that just over 25% of children receiving school-based speech therapy for an SSD exhibited concomitant deficits in word decoding and that those exhibiting risk at the beginning of the school year were likely to continue to be at risk at the end of the school year. Results from a hierarchical logistic regression suggested that, after accounting for children's age, general language abilities, and socioeconomic status, both PA and speech sound production abilities were significantly associated with the likelihood of being classified as at risk. Conclusions School-age children with SSD are at increased risk for reading difficulties that are likely to persist throughout an academic year. The severity of phonological deficits, reflected by PA and speech output, may be important indicators of subsequent reading problems.

scholarly journals Tongue contour for /s/ and /?/ in children with speech sound disorder

CoDAS ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 248-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haydée Fiszbein Wertzner ◽  
Danira Tavares Francisco ◽  
Luciana de Oliveira Pagan-Neves
Keyword(s):  
Speech Sound ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Speech Sound Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Phonological Process ◽  
Phonological Processes ◽  
Speech Language Pathologist ◽  
Group 3 ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Group 1

PURPOSE: To describe the tongue shape for /s/ and /∫/ sounds in three different groups of children with and without speech sound disorder. METHODS: The six participants were divided into three groups: Group 1 - two typically developing children, Group 2 - two children with speech sound disorder presenting any other phonological processes but not the ones involving the production of the /∫/ and Group 3 - two children with speech sound disorder presenting any phonological processes associated to the presence of the phonological process of palatal fronting (these two children produced /∫/ as /s/) aged between 5 and 8 years old, all speakers of Brazilian Portuguese. The data were the words /'∫avi/ (key) and /'sapu/ (frog). Tongue contour was individually traced for the five productions of each target word. RESULTS: The analysis of the tongue contour pointed to evidences that both /s/ and /∫/ were produced using distinct tongue contours for G1 and G2. The production of these two groups was more stable than G3. The tongue contour for /s/ and /∫/ from the children in G3 was similar, indicating that their production was undifferentiated. CONCLUSION: The use of the ultrasound applied to the speech analysis was effective to confirm the perceptual analysis of the sound made by the speech-language pathologist.

Synergistic Development of Phonetic Skill

1992 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 254-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul R. Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Sound Production ◽  
Speech Sound ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Verbal Communication ◽  
Word Form ◽  
Current Testing ◽  
Syntactic Development ◽  
Treatment Procedures ◽  
Disordered Speech

Fey (1985; reprinted 1992, this issue) described children’s disordered speech sound production using a combination of phonological and traditional articulatory constructs that are not specifically related to levels of language organization higher than the morpheme or word form. This theoretical viewpoint coincides with current testing and treatment procedures that focus on production, perception, and categorization of word pairs that have been selected by the clinician because of their phonological properties. This article will argue that such an approach is not necessarily the most efficacious for preschool children with phonological delay who also exhibit delayed semantic-syntactic development. A model of verbal communication that unites phonetic, phonological, and higher organizational levels will be described. Treatment strategies related to this model will be exemplified.

Target Selection Considerations for Speech Sound Disorder Intervention in Schools

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 1722-1734
Author(s):  
Shari L. DeVeney ◽  
Kathryn Cabbage ◽  
Theresa Mourey
Keyword(s):  
Service Provision ◽  
Target Selection ◽  
Speech Sound ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Speech Sound Disorders ◽  
Speech Sound Disorder ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Therapy Targets ◽  
Individualized Approach

Purpose Clinicians working with children who have speech sound disorders that involve multiple errors often prioritize particular errored sounds for intervention. However, this prioritization is not always an easy or clearly defined clinical decision, as there are many target selection considerations to weigh, some of which directly oppose one another. Conversely, sometimes there are multiple justified reasons to target a particular process or sound over others produced in error. Having a well-advised rationale regarding what sounds/sound classes to prioritize in treatment is a critical tenet of high-quality clinical service provision. Therefore, speech-language pathologists need to be mindful of differing rationales for prioritizing therapy targets and note that the same prioritization may not be appropriate for all children receiving therapy. Conclusions This clinical focus article provides an overview of a wide variety of pediatric target selection considerations (e.g., stimulability, complexity, frequency of occurrence, and interference with intelligibility) and offers clinicians theoretical and research-based rationales for each. Limitations and/or controversies that hamper practical clinical application of each target selection consideration are noted and described. Aspects in need of further research are highlighted. Additionally, through presentation of hypothetical case studies, the authors illustrate an individualized approach to target selection appropriate for a pediatric caseload.

Nonword Repetition Performance Differentiates Children Who Stutter With and Without Concomitant Speech Sound and Developmental Language Disorders

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Katelyn L. Gerwin ◽  
Bridget Walsh ◽  
Seth E. Tichenor
Keyword(s):  
Sound Production ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Speech Sound ◽  
Language Disorders ◽  
Nonword Repetition ◽  
Driving Factor ◽  
Speech And Language ◽  
Speech Sound Disorder ◽  
Language Abilities ◽  
Speech And Language Disorders

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine how nonword repetition (NWR) performance may be impacted by the presence of concomitant speech and language disorders in young children who stutter (CWS). Method: One hundred forty-one children (88 CWS and 53 children who do not stutter [CWNS]) participated. CWS were divided into groups based on the presence of speech sound and/or language disorder or typical speech sound production and language abilities. NWR abilities were measured using stimuli composed of one- to four-syllable nonwords. Results: CWS with typical speech and language and CWNS had higher accuracy scores than CWS with concomitant speech and language disorders. We found no difference in accuracy scores between CWNS and CWS with typical speech and language abilities, nor did we find differences between CWS with speech sound disorder and CWS with both speech sound and language disorders. Accuracy decreased as nonword length increased for all groups. Conclusions: We found that the presence of a concomitant speech and language disorder was a driving factor behind poorer NWR performance in CWS. Accuracy scores differentiated CWS with concomitant disorders from CWS with typical speech and language but not CWS with typical speech and language from CWNS. Considering the speech and language abilities of CWS helped clarify poorer NWR performance and enhances generalizability to the population that exists clinically.

Comparing the Informativeness of Single-Word Samples and Connected Speech Samples in Assessing Speech Sound Disorders

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Li-Li Yeh ◽  
Chia-Chi Liu
Keyword(s):  
Performance Measures ◽  
Speech Sound ◽  
Naming Task ◽  
Sample Type ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Speech Sample ◽  
Single Word ◽  
Speech Sound Disorders ◽  
Connected Speech ◽  
Speech Accuracy

Purpose Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are faced with the challenge of quickly and accurately identifying children who present with speech sound disorders (SSD) compared to typically developing (TD) children. The goal of this study was to compare the clinical relevance of two speech sampling methods (single-word vs. connected speech samples) in how sensitive they are in detecting atypical speech sound development in children, and to know whether the information obtained from single-word samples is representative enough of children's overall speech sound performance. Method We compared the speech sound performance of 37 preschool children with SSD ( M age = 4;11 years) and 37 age-sex-matched typically developing children ( M age = 5;0 years) by eliciting their speech in two ways: (a) a picture-naming task to elicit single words, and (b) a story-retelling task to elicit connected speech. Four speech measures were compared across sample type (single words vs. connected speech) and across groups (SSD vs. TD): intelligibility, speech accuracy, phonemic inventory, and phonological patterns. Results Interaction effects were found between sample type and group on several speech sound performance measures. Single-word speech samples were found to differentiate the SSD group from the TD group, and were more sensitive than connected speech samples across various measures. The effect size of single-word samples was consistently higher than connected speech samples for three measures: intelligibility, speech accuracy, and phonemic inventory. The gap in sample type informativeness may be attributed to salience and avoidance effects, given that children tend to avoid producing unfamiliar phonemes in connected speech. The number of phonological patterns produced was the only measure that revealed no gap between two sampling types for both groups. Conclusions On measures of intelligibility, speech accuracy, and phonemic inventory, obtaining a single-word sample proved to be a more informative method of differentiating children with SSD from TD children than connected speech samples. This finding may guide SLPs in their choice of sampling type when they are under time pressure. We discuss how children's performance on the connected speech sample may be biased by salience and avoidance effects and/or task design, and may, therefore, not necessarily reveal a poorer performance than single-word samples, particularly in intelligibility, speech accuracy, and the number of phonological patterns, if these task limitations are circumvented. Our findings show that the performance gap, typically observed between the two sampling types, largely depends on which performance measures are evaluated with the speech sample. Our study is the first to address sampling type differences in SSD versus TD children and has significant clinical implications for SLPs looking for sampling types and measures that reliably identify SSD in preschool-aged children.

Psychometric Characteristics of Single-Word Tests of Children's Speech Sound Production

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Flipsen ◽  
Diane A. Ogiela
Keyword(s):  
Sound Production ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Speech Sound ◽  
Test Construction ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Single Word ◽  
Psychometric Characteristics ◽  
Current Review ◽  
Selection Decisions ◽  
Children's Speech

Purpose Our understanding of test construction has improved since the now-classic review by McCauley and Swisher (1984). The current review article examines the psychometric characteristics of current single-word tests of speech sound production in an attempt to determine whether our tests have improved since then. It also provides a resource that clinicians may use to help them make test selection decisions for their particular client populations. Method Ten tests published since 1990 were reviewed to determine whether they met the 10 criteria set out by McCauley and Swisher (1984), as well as 7 additional criteria. Results All of the tests reviewed met at least 3 of McCauley and Swisher's (1984) original criteria, and 9 of 10 tests met at least 5 of them. Most of the tests met some of the additional criteria as well. Conclusions The state of the art for single-word tests of speech sound production in children appears to have improved in the last 30 years. There remains, however, room for improvement.

The Effect of Sampling Condition on Children’s Productions of Consonant Clusters

1994 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 868-882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharynne McLeod ◽  
Linda Hand ◽  
Joan B. Rosenthal ◽  
Brett Hayes
Keyword(s):  
Speech Sound ◽  
Consonant Clusters ◽  
Single Word ◽  
Connected Speech ◽  
Phonological Processes ◽  
Sampling Conditions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Sampling Condition ◽  
Cluster Reduction

An investigation was conducted to compare the effects of single word and connected speech sampling conditions on the production of consonant clusters. Speech samples were obtained from 40 children with speech sound impairments who were aged 3 years: 6 months to 5 years. The children’s productions of 36 commonly occurring consonant clusters were compared across the two sampling conditions. Overall, children’s productions were more similar than different. Differences between the sampling conditions were apparent for three of the eight phonological processes studied, namely, cluster reduction, final consonant deletion, and epenthesis. Of 12 fine phonetic variations, only aspirated stops showed a significant difference between the sampling conditions. There was a wide range of individual variation.

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