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A follow-up study of children with phonologic disorders of unknown origin
1University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Insights
Children with early speech delays often require ongoing special educational support, including special class placements, as they approach middle school. Phonological disorder accurately describes most cases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Speech-Language Pathology
- Special Education
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Early intervention for speech delays is common, but long-term educational needs are less understood.
- Focus on children with speech delays of unknown origin.
- Limited research on the trajectory of special educational needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the long-term special educational needs of children who received preschool speech services.
- To analyze the educational histories of children with speech delays.
- To identify patterns in special educational needs and outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of exceptional educational needs histories.
- Study included 36 children from a phonology clinic's preschool program.
- Analysis of original and follow-up data.
Main Results:
- A significant percentage of children continued to have speech, language, and other special educational needs.
- Many children eventually required special class placements.
- Phonological disorder diagnosis applied to 75%-80% of referred children.
Conclusions:
- Children with early speech delays often have persistent special educational needs.
- Classification, prediction, and management of these needs require further attention.
- Phonological disorder is a suitable classification for a majority of these children.
Abstract:
Recent emphasis on early intervention programming for children with speech delays of unknown origin has yielded considerable literature on alternative forms of assessment and management. Less is known about the long-term special educational needs of such children. This study reviews the exceptional educational needs histories of 36 children who had received preschool speech services at a phonology clinic. Findings indicate that a high percentage of children continued to have speech and language and other special educational needs as they neared middle school and beyond. Many children eventually required special class placements. Discussion focuses on issues in classification, prediction, and management. On the bases of both original and follow-up data in this and other studies, the term phonological disorder appears to be appropriate for approximately 75%-80% of children referred early for speech disorders of unknown origin.