Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research · 1994 · 125 citations · 75 references
Health ProfessionsLinguisticsSpeech-language PathologyChild DevelopmentPediatric Speech-language PathologyPhonological DisordersDevelopmental Phonological DisordersNeurodevelopmental DisordersPhonological DelayPhonological DevelopmentPhonological Disorder AssessmentSpeech Sound DisordersCritical Period EffectsCritical Period TimingDevelopmental Phonological Error PatternsDevelopmental Speech Error PatternsPhonological Disorder ProfilesSpeech DelaySpeech Sound DelaySpeech Sound Normalization
Prior articles in this series provide a descriptive profile of 178 children with developmental phonological disorders (Shriberg & Kwiatkowski, 1994) and predictive correlates of short-term speech-sound normalization in 54 children (Shriberg, Kwiatkowski, & Gruber, 1994). The present article reports findings from a study of 10 children with developmental phonological disorders whose progress was followed at least once yearly for 7 years. Analyses characterize the sequence, rates, and error patterns of long-term speech-sound normalization in relation to developmental perspectives on the nature of children’s phonological disorders. Findings are interpreted to support the hypothesis of a critical period for speech-sound development, with long-term normalization of significant speech delay reaching a chronological age boundary at approximately 8.5 years.
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