Phonological assessment and analysis tools for Polish: Construction and use

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Phonological development assessment tools are crucial for identifying speech sound disorders in children.
• A cross-linguistic framework based on constraint-based nonlinear phonology provides a robust theoretical foundation for phonological assessment.
• Existing tools cater to 16 languages, highlighting a need for a Polish-specific instrument.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present novel assessment tools for the phonological development of Polish-learning children.
• To provide a qualitative evaluation of these tools' theoretical consistency, coverage, and utility.
• To lay the groundwork for a norm-referenced instrument for clinical and research use.

Main Methods:

• Development of a Polish word list for elicitation and an analysis/intervention planning form.
• Qualitative pilot study involving two Polish-learning children, one with protracted phonological development.
• Evaluation based on adherence to theoretical constructs, coverage of Polish phonology, and practical utility.

Main Results:

• The developed tools align with the theoretical framework of constraint-based nonlinear phonology.
• The tools demonstrated utility in assessing phonological development in the pilot study.
• Initial qualitative feedback suggests the tools are promising for clinical application.

Conclusions:

• The presented tools offer a valuable resource for assessing Polish children's phonological development.
• Further quantitative evaluation is necessary to establish psychometric properties and develop a norm-referenced instrument.
• These tools have the potential to support early identification and intervention for speech sound disorders in Polish-speaking children.