Physician Knowledge and Comfort Identifying Pediatric Speech Sound Development Concerns

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Medicine
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Pediatricians are vital for early detection of developmental communication issues.
• Physician knowledge, comfort, and screening practices for pediatric speech sound disorders (SSDs) are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate pediatricians' perspectives on universal screening for SSDs.
• To assess pediatrician comfort levels, knowledge, and screening tool usage for speech sound concerns compared to language concerns.
• To identify physician characteristics associated with comfort and perceived training needs for SSD screening.

Main Methods:

• A national survey was administered to U.S. licensed physicians providing pediatric care.
• Data collected included perspectives on universal screening, comfort levels, knowledge of speech sound development, screening tool use, and training needs.
• Statistical analyses, including ordinal mixed-effects and logistic regression, were used to examine comfort and knowledge variations.

Main Results:

• Most physicians favor universal screening for speech and language development.
• Physicians expressed greater comfort screening language concerns than speech sound concerns.
• Self-rated knowledge was lowest for bilingual/multilingual children; limited use of SSD-specific screening tools was reported, with over 70% desiring more training.

Conclusions:

• Pediatricians acknowledge the importance of early identification but face specific gaps in comfort and preparation for screening SSDs.
• Enhancing physician knowledge, providing practical screening tools, decision support, and fostering collaboration are crucial for improving identification of pediatric speech sound concerns.