[Phonetically balanced lists for children from six to 10 years]

Area of Science:

• Speech-language pathology
• Audiology
• Psycholinguistics

Context:

• Development of standardized speech discrimination tests is crucial for clinical audiology.
• Existing French speech lists may not adequately represent the phonological diversity of French-Canadian children.
• Phonetically balanced word lists are essential for accurate speech perception assessment.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the effectiveness and equivalence of two new French-Canadian phonetically balanced word lists.
• To determine if these lists are suitable for speech discrimination testing in children.
• To provide a culturally and linguistically appropriate tool for assessing speech perception in French-Canadian youth.

Summary:

• Two French-Canadian phonetically balanced word lists were developed and tested on 100 children aged six to 10.
• Experimental results demonstrated the equivalence of these new lists compared to established French lists.
• The findings confirm the lists' reliability for speech discrimination assessment in the target pediatric population.

Impact:

• Provides a validated, culturally relevant tool for speech discrimination testing in French-Canadian children.
• Enhances the accuracy of audiological assessments for pediatric speech perception.
• Supports clinical decision-making and intervention strategies for speech and hearing disorders in this demographic.