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Purpose: To present and analyze the acquisition segmental curve of Brazilian Portuguese in simple and complex onset position and coda position., Methods: 857 children with typical phonological acquisition participated in it, aged between 3:0 and 8:11, divided into age groups every 6 months. Participants were assessed using INFONO phonological assessment software. After analyzing the results, acquisition curves were drawn up for the segments analyzed in the different structures (simple and complex onset position and coda position)., Results: It was noted that, in simple onset position, some segments were acquired before 3:0 (stops, nasal and fricative, /f, v, s, z/. The /ʃ/ and /l/ segments were acquired at 3:0, /ʒ/ and /x/ at 3:6, /ʎ/ at 4:0, /r/ at 4:6; in coda position /N/ and /L/ were acquired before of 3:0, /S/ at 3:6 and /r/ at 4:6; in complex onset position, the structures composed by Fricative + /r/ and Stop + /r/ were acquired at 5:0, Stop + /l/ at 5:6 and Fricative + /l/ at 6:0., Conclusion: Analyzing the acquisition curve is essential, as it provides a reference on the age of acquisition of segments in different syllabic structures. The acquisition curve contributes to the early identification of delays in phonological acquisition process enabling a timely referral for speech therapy intervention.

Purpose: this study used the ultrasonography of the tongue movements and the dynamic models of speech production to characterize the articulatory gestures of in the production of /l/ at the Brazilian Portuguese in different age groups, comparing them between typical and atypical children., Methods: the sample consisted of 30 typical and 30 atypical children between ages of four and eight-years-old, who underwent speech-language and ultrasonographic evaluations. The evaluation was realized by recording words reproduction with the sound /l/ and the following vocalic contexts: /a/, /i/ and /u/, repeating six times for each word. The software for recording and analysis was Articulate Assistant Advanced (AAA). The quantitative analysis considered the 42 points that intercepted the tongue curves in each image to describe the articulatory gestures; the estimation of the mean lines of each curve and the confidence intervals between typical and atypical children groups; and the differences between the mean tongue contours curves according to age group., Results: the results presented a tongue tip elevation and dorsal and root retraction in /l/. Typical children, regardless of age, showed a greater refinement of articulatory tongue gestures than the atypical ones. In older children, there was more delimitation in the mean tongue contours from the tongue tip to the root., Conclusion: the ultrasonography of the tongue movements is a substantial implement to characterize the articulatory gestures of /l/, to the differentiation between typical and atypical productions in this sound, and observation of the development of the articulatory gestures.

Purpose: To analyze the recognizability and effectiveness of items in the Phonological Assessment Tool (Instrumento de Avaliação Fonológica - INFONO) at eliciting target words, as well as to evaluate the internal consistency of the instrument and compare performance between genders, school types and typical vs. atypical phonological development., Method: Participants were 48 children (n=26 with typical phonological development and n=22 with atypical development) categorized by age (6 age groups ranging from 3 years and 8 years 11 months), type of school (public vs. private) and gender (male vs. female). Data were collected by the spontaneous naming task of the INFONO. Recognition rates, scores, recognition difficulties and internal consistency were examined in 116 items. Performance in a final set of 84 items was also compared between genders, school types and typical/atypical phonological development., Results: Most target words achieved high recognition rates were considered suitable for use in the INFONO. Some images had to be redesigned to facilitate the spontaneous production of target words, while other items were excluded from the instrument altogether. The instrument demonstrated excellent internal consistency. There were no statistically significant differences between genders and school types, though differences were observed between typically and atypically developing children., Conclusion: The images in the INFONO were successfully recognized by participants and were effective at eliciting the target words. The final set of items contained the minimum number of target words which would allow for an assessment of all phonemes in Brazilian Portuguese in different word and syllable positions, and these items presented excellent internal consistency.

Purpose: To present evidence of the validity and reliability of a phonological assessment tool developed to assess the phonological inventory of Brazilian Portuguese., Methods: The study included 866 children aged between 3 and 8:11 years, divided into three groups: typical, control and clinical. Participants were evaluated using a phonological assessment software, which prompted the spontaneous naming of a series of images. The children's responses were audio recorded and transcribed at the time of the assessment, by the software itself. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to evaluate the internal consistency of the instrument for reliability and validity purposes. Criterion validity was examined by comparing the performance of different groups using Student's t-test for independent samples. Intra- and inter-rater agreement were investigated using Kendall's tau. Results were considered significant at p ≤ 0.05., Results: The present study provided evidence of validity and reliability (internal consistency) for this phonological assessment tool, confirming the reliability of its items and demonstrating excellent agreement rates between examiners regarding its scoring (intra- and inter-rater reliability). The criterion validity assessment demonstrated that the control group outperformed the clinical group across all phonemes, showing that test scores were successful in identifying children with speech sound disorders (phonological disorders)., Conclusion: The present findings provide strong evidence of the validity and reliability of this phonological assessment tool.

Purpose: Analyze and compare the mean tongue contours and articulatory gestures in the production of the sound [j] in adults and children with typical and atypical speech development. The children with atypical development presented speech sound disorders., Methods: The diagnosis was determined by speech assessments. The study sample was composed of 90 individuals divided into three groups: 30 adults with typical speech development aged 19-44 years (AT), 30 children with typical speech development (CT), and 30 children with speech sound disorders, named as atypical in this study, aged four years to eight years and eleven months (CA). Ultrasonography assessment of tongue movements was performed for all groups. Mean tongue contours were compared between three groups in different vocalic contexts following the sound [j]. The maximum elevation of the tongue tip was considered for delimitation of gestures using the Articulate Assistant Advanced (AAA) software and images in sagittal plane/Mode B. The points that intercepted the language curves were analyzed by the statistical tool R. The graphs of tongue contours were obtained adopting a 95% confidence interval. After that, the regions with significant statistical differences (p<0.05) between the CT and CA groups were obtained., Results: The mean tongue contours demonstrated the gesture for the sound [j] in the comparison between typical and atypical children. For the semivowel [j], there is an articulatory gesture of tongue and dorsum towards the center of ​​the hard palate, with significant differences observed between the children., Conclusion: The results showed differences between the groups of children regarding the ability to refine articulatory gestures.

Purpose: To determine the occurrence of phonological disorders by age, gender and school type, and analyze the phonological processes observed in typical and atypical phonological development across different age groups., Methods: The sample consisted of 866 children aged between 3:0 and 8:11 years, recruited from public and private schools in the city of Santa Maria/RS. A phonological evaluation was performed to analyze the operative phonological processes., Results: 15.26% (n = 132) of the sample presented atypical phonological acquisition (phonological disorders). Phonological impairments were more frequent in public school students across all age groups. Phonological alterations were most frequent between ages 4 -to 6, and more prevalent in males than females in all but the youngest age group. The most common phonological processes in typical phonological acquisition were: cluster reduction; nonlateral liquid deletion in coda; nonlateral liquid substitution in onset; semivocalization of lateral liquids in coda; and unstressed syllable deletion. In children with phonological disorders, the most common phonological processes were: lateral and nonlateral liquid substitution in onset position; nonlateral liquid deletion; fronting of fricatives in onset position; unstressed syllable deletion; semivocalization of nonlateral liquid in coda; and nonlateral liquid deletion in coda position., Conclusion: Phonological processes were highly prevalent in the present sample, and occurred more often in boys than in girls. Information regarding the type and frequency of phonological processes in both typical phonological acquisition and phonological disorders may contribute to early diagnosis and increase the efficiency of treatment planning.

Purpose: To analyze the use of electropalatography and ultrasonography regarding speech therapy through literature narrative review., Research Strategies: A literature review was conducted at PubMed and Scielo databases, using descriptors as electropalatography, electropalatography AND evaluation, electropalatography AND therapy, electropalatography AND ultrasonography, electropalatography AND speech., Selection Criteria: The research criteria selected in the database were: studies in the past five years and studies in humans. In the pre-selection, studies that were duplicate, not fully available, and have shown no direct relation with electropalatography in speech-language therapy were discarded., Data Analysis: Data analysis was performed descriptively, following subdivisions: title, area, year, subject, implementation, and conclusion of the study., Results: Twenty one papers were selected, eight of them using the term electropalatography, two with the keywords electropalatography AND evaluation, six with the keywords electropalatography AND therapy, three of them with the keywords electropalatography AND ultrasonography, and two papers with the keywords electropalatography AND speech., Conclusion: Different types of research involving the use of electropalatography in the field of speech-language therapy were found and analyzed. Few researches have concomitantly used electropalatography and ultrasonography.

Purpose: To correlate the peripheral oxygen saturation with gestational age and the level of oral feeding skills in the introduction of oral feeding in preterm infants., Methods: This is a cross-sectional, quantitative study whose sample was composed of 169 clinically stable preterm infants. Peripheral oxygen saturation was assessed before and after introduction of oral feeding. The preterm infants were stratified into three groups based on their gestational age at birth: 26-29, 30-33, and 34-36 weeks. The preterm infants were classified into four levels according to their oral feeding skill and resistance., Results: No differences in oxygen saturation were observed between the strata of gestational age and between the levels of oral feeding skill. Differences were observed in the groups of preterm infants aged 30-33 weeks (p=0.04) and 34-36 weeks (p=0.02) and on the level I of oral feeding skills (p=0.04) when oxygen saturation was compared at pre- and post-first oral feeding. Significant correlations (p<0.001) were found between gestational age and the levels of oral feeding skills (r=0.38); in Group A, between gestational age and oxygen saturation before the first oral feeding (r=0.83); in Group B, between the level of oral feeding skill and oxygen saturation before the first oral feeding (r=0.26) and between level of oral feeding skill and gestational age (r=0.26)., Conclusion: Correlation was found for peripheral oxygen saturation when compared with gestational age and with the level of oral feeding skills.

Purpose: To correlate cardiorespiratory parameters with gestational age and level of oral feeding skills in the first oral feeding in preterm infants., Methods: Study participants were 37 clinically stable preterm infants. Cardiorespiratory rate was assessed before and after introduction of oral feeding. The newborns were divided into three strata according to gestational age at birth. Oral skill was classified into four levels: I - low oral skill and low resistance to feeding; II - low oral skill and high resistance to feeding; III - high oral skill and low resistance to feeding; IV - high oral skill and high resistance to feeding., Results: No difference was observed in heart and respiratory rate between the strata of gestational age at birth and between the levels of oral skill. Comparison between pre- and post-cardiorespiratory rates within each level of oral skill and stratum of gestational age showed difference between heart rate in the strata of gestational ages of 30 to 33 weeks and of 34 to 36 weeks, as well as between oral skill of levels I, II, and IV. With regard to the comparison between pre- and post- respiratory rates, difference was found in the oral skill of level I., Conclusion: Differences were observed between pre- and post-prandial cardiorespiratory rates regarding the first oral feeding, as well as between strata of gestational age at birth and levels of oral feeding skills.