Skills Associated With Atypical Phonological Errors in English: A Scoping Review

Few clinicians report incorporating error type in their assessment of speech sound disorders, despite research reporting differences between children who produce typical and atypical phonological errors. The purpose of this scoping review was to map what is currently known about the related skills of English-speaking children who produce typical versus atypical phonological errors in order to summarize currently available evidence for clinical decision making concerning atypical phonological errors.

A systematic search of databases was completed, including PubMed, Scopus, and APA PsycInfo. Studies that were published between 1985 and 2023, were peer-reviewed, and reported on a related skill for typical and atypical phonological errors were included. The scoping review was reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines.

Twenty-seven studies were included in the review. These studies were organized into six themes: persistence of speech errors, emergent literacy difficulties, executive function difficulties, language skills, speech perception and auditory processing, and motor skills. Atypical but not typical phonological errors were related to persistence of speech errors. Emergent literacy difficulties, particularly phonological awareness difficulties, and executive function difficulties were frequently reported to be associated with atypical but not typical phonological errors. Motor skills were similar for children who produced typical and atypical errors. More research is needed for speech perception, auditory processing, and language skills.

Children who produce atypical phonological errors have different strengths and weaknesses in related skills than children who produce typical phonological errors. Children who produce atypical phonological errors may benefit from phonological awareness and/or early literacy assessments and intervention.