Oral structural and neuromuscular characteristics in children with normal and disordered articulation

The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether there were any signs of structural and/or neuromuscular aberrations in the speech mechanisms of children who were previously diagnosed as having "functional" articulation disorders. These children were compared with a group of normally articulating children. Results of in-depth oral mechanism examinations revealed no significant differences between these groups on any of the measures made. The clinical implications of such findings are discussed.