Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders · 1987 · 352 citations · 0 references
The study developed a clinical protocol to assess oral and speech motor abilities in children. The protocol comprised an 86‑item test administered to 90 normally developing children aged 2½ to 6½ years. Structural integrity of the vocal tract remained unchanged, but oral and speech motor functioning improved with age, with the functional portion of the protocol most sensitive up to 3½ years and plateauing thereafter; the protocol’s clinical utility is discussed.
A clinical protocol was developed for the purpose of assessing the oral and speech motor abilities of children. An 86-item test was administered to 90 normally developing children aged 2:6–6:11. Evaluations of the structural integrity of the vocal tract did not show developmental change, although evaluations of oral and speech motor functioning changed significantly with age. The functional portion of the protocol was most sensitive to developmental change up to age 3:6, with an asymptote in performance thereafter. Clinical application of the protocol is discussed.