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This study is an examination of the longitudinal effects of an integrated phonological awareness approach for identical twin boys with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Genetic and environmental factors in the boys' responses to the intervention were also examined. Theo and Jamie (aged 4;5) each participated in 18 hours of intervention prior to school entry and were re-assessed at age 4;9, 5;3, and 5;9 respectively. Their speech, expressive morpho-syntactic, phonological awareness, reading, and spelling development were evaluated over their first year of schooling. Theo and Jamie experienced continued growth in speech and phonological awareness skills following participation in the intervention. They exhibited age-appropriate reading and spelling development during their first year of formal literacy instruction. They had persistent deficits in expressive morpho-syntactic skills despite speech production gains over the study. The results pointed to the benefit of integrating speech and phonological awareness goals within a preventative framework to ensure successful early literacy development for children with CAS. Findings suggested that language difficulties in children with CAS should be targeted during intervention as they do not resolve as the children's speech production difficulties minimize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the literacy outcomes for children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds who had received specific whole-class phonological awareness (PA) and language intervention in preschool. The participants were 57 children who had been involved in the original intervention study. Their PA skills, letter-sound knowledge, real word and non-word spelling and reading comprehension were assessed in Grade 2. The results indicated that children who had received intervention in preschool performed similarly to the children who had not received intervention. The gains made in PA and language skills post intervention had failed to augment further literacy development. A post hoc examination of individual student profiles, however, revealed that a subgroup of children who had received intervention had maintained their enhanced performance and that the intervention cohort had similar scores on tests of PA ability to their age-matched peers in the population. It was concluded that whole-class, teacher-delivered, PA and language intervention, while effective in the short term, does not lead to a generalized improvement in literacy skills in Grade 2. Possible reasons for the failure of the program to produce medium term gains are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although children with speech disorder are at increased risk of literacy impairments, many learn to read and spell without difficulty. They are also a heterogeneous population in terms of the number and type of speech errors and their identified speech processing deficits. One problem lies in determining which preschool children with speech disorder will have difficulties acquiring literacy skills. Aims: Two studies are presented that investigate the relationship between speech disorders and literacy. The first examined the phonological awareness abilities of children with different types of speech difficulties. The second study investigated the literacy skills of children with a history of inconsistent speech disorder. Methods & Procedures: Experiment 1 measured the syllable segmentation, rhyme awareness and alliteration awareness of 61 preschool children: 46 with speech disorder (14 with delayed development, 17 who made consistent non-developmental errors, and 15 who made inconsistent errors) and 15 typically developing controls. Experiment 2 assessed the reading accuracy, spelling and phonological awareness abilities of nine 7-year-old children with a history of inconsistent phonological errors. Outcomes & Results: The first study indicated unexpected patterns of performance. While the Delayed group performed less well than controls on all tasks, the Consistent group showed poor performance on rhyme and alliteration but appropriate performance on syllable segmentation. The Inconsistent group performed most poorly on syllable segmentation but no differently from controls on the other two tasks. The second study indicated that children with a history of inconsistent phonological disorder performed no differently from controls on measures of phonological awareness and reading, but less well on measures of spelling ability. Conclusions: The results support classification of speech disorders and show a differentiation of phonological awareness skills across groups. Children with consistent atypical speech errors have poor phonological awareness and are most at risk for literacy difficulties. Those with inconsistent phonological disorder are at increased risk of spelling difficulties. The findings indicate that phonological awareness and spelling skill are distinct processing systems and highlight the role of phonological assembly skills (i.e. storing and/or retrieving phonological output plans) in spelling output. The interactive processes between reading and spelling are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developmental speech disorder is accounted for by theories derived from psychology, psycholinguistics, linguistics and medicine, with researchers developing assessment protocols that reflect their theoretical perspective. How theory and data analyses lead to different therapy approaches, however, is sometimes unclear. Here, we present a case management plan for a 7 year old boy with unintelligible speech. Assessment data were analysed to address seven case management questions regarding need for intervention, service delivery, differential diagnosis, intervention goals, generalization of therapeutic gains, discharge criteria and evaluation of efficacy. Jarrod was diagnosed as having inconsistent speech disorder that required intervention. He pronounced 88% of words differently when asked to name each word in the 25 word inconsistency test of the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology three times, each trial separated by another activity. Other standardized assessments supported the diagnosis of inconsistent speech disorder that, according to previous research, is associated with a deficit in phonological assembly. Core vocabulary intervention was chosen as the most appropriate therapy technique. Its nature and a possible protocol for implementation is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examined the effect of phonological awareness intervention that focused on syllable and rhyme awareness on the acquisition of literacy and the development of phonological awareness skills 2 years post intervention. The longitudinal study compared two groups of children from deprived socioeconomic backgrounds in the United Kingdom. One group received a program of phonological awareness intervention and one did not. Method: Ninety-nine children received a 9-week program of phonological awareness intervention in the summer term of their final preschool year. These children were then assessed on measures of phonological awareness and language in the first term of their first year at school (M age = 4;7 [years;months]) and again 2 years later (M age = 6;8) on measures of phonological awareness and literacy. One year earlier, a control group of 114 children from the same schools were also assessed at these two points in their schooling on the same measures. This group did not receive any phonological awareness intervention. Results: At the second assessment, the group of children who received phonological awareness intervention performed better than those children who received no intervention (control group) on rhyme awareness and nonword spelling. Surprisingly, however, the control group performed better than the children who had received intervention on the phoneme segmentation task. Conclusion: The phonological awareness intervention that was implemented, which focused on enhancing syllable and rhyme awareness, had little effect on later literacy development and may have interfered with the acquisition of phoneme awareness. Implications for intervention with children from deprived socioeconomic backgrounds are discussed in the context of current research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a vast body of literature on the causes, prevalence, implications, and issues of vocal dysfunction in teachers. However, the educational effect of teacher vocal impairment is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of impaired voice quality on children's processing of spoken language. One hundred and seven children (age range, 9.2 to 10.6, mean 9.8, SD 3.76 months) listened to three video passages, one read in a control voice, one in a mild dysphonic voice, and one in a severe dysphonic voice. After each video passage, children were asked to answer six questions, with multiple-choice answers. The results indicated that children's perceptions of speech across the three voice qualities differed, regardless of gender, IQ, and school attended. Performance in the control voice passages was better than performance in the mild and severe dysphonic voice passages. No difference was found between performance in the mild and severe dysphonic voice passages, highlighting that any form of vocal impairment is detrimental to children's speech processing and is therefore likely to have a negative educational effect. These findings, in light of the high rate of vocal dysfunction in teachers, further support the implementation of specific voice care education for those in the teaching profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: There has been no previous incidence survey of children referred to a speech and language therapy service in the UK. Previous studies of prevalence of specific communication difficulties provide contradictory data from which it is difficult to plan speech and language therapy service provision. Reliable data are needed concerning the nature and severity of impairments as well as the age and source of referral and the effects of cultural and socio-economic profiles of the population served. AIMS: To describe referrals received between January 1999 and April 2000 by the paediatric speech and language therapy service of Middlesborough Primary Care Trust, an area of social deprivation. METHODS & PROCEDURES: All referrals were offered an initial assessment appointment within 8 weeks of referral. Standardized tests and quantitative measures of communication difficulties, determined by age, were undertaken. Population and case history information was also gathered. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: The incidence rate of referrals who attended for assessment in a single year was calculated as 16.3% for primary communication disability and 14.6% for speech/language disability. Of the 1100 referrals, 14.9% failed to attend and 9.8% had normal functioning. The distribution of disorder type was dysfluency 5.3%, voice or nasality disruption 2.0%; receptive language difficulties 20.4%, expressive language difficulties 16.9% and speech difficulties 29.1%. A further 0.7% had special educational needs and 0.9% had speech and language impairment but refused consent. The majority of referrals were between 2 and 6 years old, more boys than girls were referred, and socio-economic status matched that of the local population. Both gender and socio-economic status affected diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the Middlesborough data, the estimated national incidence rate of referrals who attend for assessment and who have speech and language disability is 85 000-90 000 children per year (14.6% of births). While findings from only one Primary Care Trust must be treated cautiously, they provide paediatric speech and language therapy services managers with information that might guide service planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The UK is a multicultural, multilingual society and the majority of paediatric speech and language therapists in England have at least one bilingual child on their caseload. There are many imperatives driving the profession to provide an equitable service for bilingual children. Evidence is beginning to emerge, however, that bilingual children with specific language impairment are not being identified and are, therefore, not accessing services. The situation facing clinicians in the UK is not unique: it is mirrored around the world. AIMS: This paper reviews the literature relating to speech and language services for bilingual children and begins by providing an overview of the forces driving the need to provide equity of service. All aspects of the therapeutic process are then examined, from referral to therapy, in order to identify features that are regarded as best practice. Whilst the focus is on delivery of services in the UK, research findings from around the world are considered. MAIN CONTRIBUTION: Certain themes emerged during the review and their implications are discussed. In particular, the need for assessment tools, training and research is highlighted. CONCLUSIONS: Features indicative of best practice are highlighted and tentative suggestions made that would enable services to address the challenges of serving bilingual paediatric caseloads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The epidemiology of 1090 referrals to a mainstream paediatric speech and language therapy department over fifteen months is discussed, in relation to referral information and initial detailed assessment. Clients are classified by their main presenting difficulty and by their degree of severity. This information will inform clinicians of the nature of the caseload of a typical inner city service which will, in turn, aid service planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]