Foreign accent syndrome as a developmental motor speech disorder

Area of Science:

• Neurolinguistics
• Developmental Psychology
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS) is a rare motor speech disorder typically associated with acquired brain lesions or psychiatric conditions in adults.
• Previous reports of FAS in children have been anecdotal, lacking formal documentation as a developmental disorder.

Observation:

• This study presents the first documented cases of developmental Foreign Accent Syndrome in two children presenting early in speech and language development.
• Neither patient had a history of psychiatric illness or acquired brain damage.

Findings:

• Developmental FAS in the first patient was linked to visuo-spatial and visual memory underdevelopment.
• The second patient exhibited developmental FAS alongside specific language impairment (SLI).
• Accent attribution experiments confirmed listener perception of a foreign accent, predominantly identified as French.

Implications:

• The findings necessitate a re-definition of Foreign Accent Syndrome to include developmental motor speech impairments.
• This research broadens the etiological understanding of FAS, recognizing its occurrence independent of brain injury or psychogenic factors.