CSD 2230
HUMAN COMMUNICATION
DISORDERS
Topic 7
Speech Disorders
Articulation and Phonology
Some Definitions…
Phonemes: individual speech sounds that
have meaning in a language

Consonants and vowels
Phonology: linguistic rules that govern how
phonemes are combined to make words

Form
Articulation: the ability to produce sounds in
sequence by moving the articulators
Articulation and Phonology
Disorders
People with articulation and phonological disorders produce
words that sound different than the words that are
produced by most other speakers
Severe articulation and phonological disorders can really
affect the way linguistic knowledge (semantics, syntax,
pragmatics) is expressed, and in turn can have a negative
impact on communication ability
The most common communication disorder treated by SLPs
of both adults and children
Definitions and Incidence
Articulation disorders involve problems producing
the sounds and sound sequences of the
language

Difficulty with the movements of the articulators
necessary for the production of a sound
Phonological disorders involve trouble
understanding and implementing the underlying
rules for producing sounds and sound
sequences

Deficiency in the abstract system of knowledge that
forms the rule system for sounds
Important Factors
Delay vs disorder
We make this distinction based on comparison of the
child’s speech to the articulation and phonological
patterns of others of a comparable age who are
developing normally

Children who are considered delayed in articulation
development have speech production patterns that
typically occur in children who are younger
 CD-ROM Ch.10.05
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Children with speech disorders do not produce speech
that is like children who are developing normally
Important Factors
Severity of involvement
Determined by:
1. the number of sounds produced correctly
2. the accuracy of the productions
3. the ability to produce sounds in different word
positions (initial, medial, and final positions)
4. the ability to produce sound sequences (sound blends)
5. the ability to produce various types of words (multiple
syllables)
Intelligibility
Severity Classification
Mild impairments
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Problems producing only a few sounds
Substitution errors are common
Intelligible to most listeners
Treatment is usually very successful
CD-ROM Ch.10.02 is an example of a 3
year old exhibiting a mild disorder for
his age
Severity Classification
Moderate impairments
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More overall difficulty producing speech sounds correctly
compared to people with mild impairments
May use sounds incorrectly in different word positions and often
have difficulty producing all the syllables in a multisyllable word
Leaving off sounds at the ends of words
Simplifying some consonant clusters (blends)
Most intelligible to familiar listeners and oftentimes are not well
understood by strangers, especially if the context of the
conversation is unknown
Good prognosis for improvement, but the course of therapy may be
longer than for those with mild impairments
Severity Classification
Severe artic or phonological involvement
 Found in people who are unintelligible to most listeners or who
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can’t use speech consistently to communicate
Usually produce more that six sounds in error
Don’t sequence sounds consistently to produce intelligible words
Ability to use sounds to communicate is really limited
Kids with severe artic/phonology problems use gestures
In very severe cases an SLP may decide to use an
augmentative communication system as an alternative
method for communication
Usually the prognosis with these people is not very favorable.
Some Examples of A Severe
Articulation/Phonology
Disorder
CD-ROM Ch.10.03 is a 7 year-old who has a severe
artic/phonology impairment. He is talking to his
clinician about his dog. He says that he has a new
dog and his big dog knows how to swim. He is
very difficult to understand.
In Ch.10.04 the same child is using gestures to
supplement his comments about where he is
going. This is common because it helps to convey
the message to the listener, but even in this
example, his gestures aren’t enough to help the
clinician understand what he’s trying to say.
Important Factors
Language and dialect

Bilinguals are speakers who have some
competence in English but have a different
primary language
 Ability to produce speech sounds is not impaired
 Different rules for producing sounds based on their own
language
 Widely varying pronunciations
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Children usually aren’t placed in speech therapy
Adults may choose intervention
Important Factors
Etiology

Functional speech impairment
No obvious cause for the delay or disorder
Common for children with respect to
phonological disorders

Articulation disorders and delays are more
likely to have a known etiology or to be
associated with a risk factor for
developmental delay
Examples of Etiologies
Associated with Articulation
Disorders
Hearing loss

Reduces the exposure to the phonological rules of
language and the opportunity for feedback
Cleft lip and palate

The oral-facial malformations associated with this
condition can make speech very nasal and some
speech sounds may be hard to produce
Dysarthria

Neuromuscular impairment
Apraxia

Neurological condition that affects motor planning and
programming
Important Factors
Co-occurrence with other types of
disorders:

Articulation and phonological disorders
can co-occur with other types of speech
and language problems
Assessment and Treatment
The goal of assessment is to determine the specific
nature and severity of the disorder or delay
The specific assessment materials and procedures
used depend on the suspected etiology, the
chronological and developmental ages, and the
primary language spoken
Analysis of the individual’s productions is done to
understand the patterns of differences between the
individual’s productions and the relevant
comparison population
Treatment will depend on the results of this analysis
Collecting Information
Speech samples
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The use and integrity of speech production skills
in a spontaneous speech and language sample
are evaluated
Articulation tests
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There are many of these kinds of formal tests
available
These tests assess the ability to produce
consonants in varied word positions
Analysis
The goal of speech analysis is to describe typical
patterns of speech production skills and compare
these skills to an appropriate group and plan
treatment
Articulation analysis
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The ways in which the articulators work together to produce speech
sounds and sequences are recorded in detail, and patterns of
differences from the comparison group are described
Substitutions, omissions, distortions
Phonological analysis
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Focuses on describing how the client’s speaking reflects underlying
mental reps and or rules for producing speech
Treatment
Emphasis on teaching the client to use sounds
and sound sequences of the language like
that expected of peers in the community
Approaches

Articulation based
Focus on repetitive practice of motor movements with
feedback and attention to how the body is used to
produce sounds
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Phonological based
Emphasize the use of speech sounds to communicate ideas