Background: Speech sound disorders (SSDs) in children are heterogeneous. Differentiating children with SSDs into distinct subtypes is important so that each child receives a treatment approach well suited to the particular difficulties they are experiencing. Aims: To study the distinct underlying processes that differentiate phonological…

Dynamic assessment in the educational setting has been shown to offer many benefits for students with speech and language disorders. This chapter highlights the benefits of dynamic assessment and describes the limitations of static assessments. Because dynamic assessment can be implemented in many ways, three scenarios have been designed to…

This article compares the claims of rule- and constraint-based accounts of three seemingly distinct error patterns, namely, Deaffrication, Consonant Harmony and Assibilation, in the sound system of a child with a phonological delay. It is argued that these error patterns are not separate problems, but rather are symptoms of a larger conspiracy to…

In this article, we discuss the relationship between instrumental and perceptual phonetic analyses. Using data drawn from typical and atypical speech production, we argue that the use of two-tier transcriptions, which can compare and contrast perceptual and instrumental information, is valuable both for our general understanding of the mechanisms…

This brief article reflects on some pitfalls inherent in the learning and teaching of segmental phonetic transcription. We suggest that a gestural interpretation to disordered speech data, in conjunction with segmental phonetic transcription, can add valuable insight into patterns of disordered speech, and that a gestural orientation should form…

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (1996) estimated that 10% of the United States population has a disorder of speech, language, or hearing, with proportional distribution among members of racially and ethnically diverse groups. Individuals of Hispanic origin are the fastest-growing minority group in the country. Current national…

Poor polysyllabic word (PSW) production seems to mark paediatric speech impairment as well as impairment in language, literacy and phonological processing. As impairment in these domains may only manifest in PSWs, PSW production may provide unique information that is often excluded from clinical decision making because insufficient PSWs are…

The article describes the Clinical Articulation Profile, an easily administered imitation task that measures the ability of the preschool child with articulation disorders to say sounds in isolation, in syllables, and in words. Scores on the profile are sensitive to minimal changes in articulation ability. (Author/CL)

This paper examines the need for a transcription system that allows the symbolization of nonnormal articulations. The paper then describes transcription systems proposed by clinical phoneticians and speech pathologists, especially PRDS (phonetic representation of disordered speech) symbols and extensions of the International Phonetic Alphabet.…

One aspect of the phonology of a four-year-old child with Down's syndrome was explored: a phonological constraint ordered his consonants from those produced at the front of the mouth to those produced at the back of the mouth. The value of an analysis that recognizes phonological strategies and larger than phoneme units is discussed. (Author/SEW)

The paper presents a detailed examination of an unusual pattern reflected in the speech of a 3-year-old language-impaired child. Training was instituted to increase the number of appropriate categories in the child's phonologic system. (Author/CL)

The paper considers the difference between articulatory and phonological disorders. The deviant production of a phoneme may be articulatory or phonological in nature. The nature of the phonemic deviation must be determined before appropriate therapeutic intervention may be devised. Recorded responses of 53 children (ages 4 years, six months to six…

A child with a speech sound disorder may understand words and phrases and use them to talk. However, if a child's speech sounds different from his peers who are the same age, gender or ethnic group, or if he/she frequently avoids talking because he/she is hard to understand, this child may have a speech sound disorder. In this article, the author…

The case report describes the speech characteristics of an eight-year-old normally hearing but misarticulating boy and the therapy procedures used over a two-month period. Cooperation and motivation were maintained through the use of cued speech to correct misarticulation of /s/ and /z/ sounds. (Author)

The paper presents a case study of a phonologically disordered child whose intelligibility seemed particularly hindered by his use of both metathesis and sound preference and whose preferred sounds was promoted by other sounds in the words. Findings indicate the importance of considering contextual effects when examining for systematicity and…