The ability to perceive and produce sounds at multiple time scales is a skill necessary for the acquisition of language. Unlike speech perception, which develops early in life, the production of speech sounds starts at a few months and continues into late childhood with the development of speech-motor skills. Though there is detailed information…

Assessment of the oral and speech motor abilities of normally developing two- through six-year-olds (N=90) revealed no developmental change of the structural integrity of the vocal tract although evaluations of oral and speech motor functioning changed significantly with age. (Author/CB)