Delayed and disordered development of articulation and phonology between four and seven years

Abstract

Some children’s speech impairment resolves spontaneously. Others have persistent problems affecting academic and social development. Identifying early markers that reliably predict long-term outcome would allow better prioritization for preschool intervention. This article evaluates the significance of different types of speech errors, made by 93 four-year-olds in a longitudinal population cohort study, for performance at seven years. At four years, the non-age appropriate speech errors made on standardized assessments were categorized as: phonologically delayed (error patterns typical of younger children); or, some errors atypical of normal development, including consistent errors (e.g. wor..