Barbara Dodd

University of Queensland | UQ · Centre for Clinical Research Excellence in Spinal Pain, Injury and Health

Studies of children's consistency of word production allow identification of speech sound disorder. Inconsistent errors are reported for two groups of children: childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) due to difficulty with the motoric precision and consistency of speech movements; and inconsistent phonological disorder (IPD) attributed to impaired phono...

Consistency of word production contributes to carers' ability to understand children's speech. Reports of the proportion of words produced consistently by typically developing preschool children, however, vary widely from 17% to 87%. This paper examines the quantitative (consistency count) and qualitative (e.g. phonemic analysis) characteristics of...

Background: The conversational speech of most children can be understood by people outside the family by the time they reach 4 years. However, for some children, speech sound disorders (SSDs) persist into their early school years, and beyond, despite adequate hearing, oromotor function, and language learning opportunities. One explanation for chil...

Purpose: Around 9% of children have difficulty acquiring intelligible speech despite typical sensory, neuro-motor and cognitive function. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) rely on descriptions of children’s speech errors to identify speech sound disorder (SSD) and determine intervention targets and goals. Existing normative data, however, need re...

This study evaluates the ability of different measures of socioeconomic status (SES) to predict lexical outcomes for preschoolers raised in a context of nationwide bilingualism. The participants were 58 children aged 3;11–4;3 from Maltese-dominant homes who attended state preschools. Receptive picture name judgement and picture naming, in Maltese a...

Background: Systematic reviews of treatment trials for children with speech and language difficulties often exemplify the limited clinical usefulness of the evidence base, reflecting recent literature in evidence-based medicine. Other studies report that clinicians often fail to seek information about best practice, across the health professions....

Emerging evidence suggests domain-general processes, including working memory, may contribute to reduced speech production skills in young children. This study compared the phonological short-term (pSTM) and phonological working memory (pWM) abilities of 50 monolingual English-speaking children between 3;6 and 5;11 with typical speech production sk...

Aims and objectives This study measured bilingual lexical skills in children just starting preschool and in others who had been attending preschool for one year. It aimed to investigate how children’s lexical abilities were influenced by length of contact with structured bilingual input at school, in a context where two majority languages are taugh...

Children’s speech difficulties can be motor (phone misarticulation) or linguistic (impaired knowledge of phonological contrasts and constraints). These two difficulties sometimes co-occur. This paper reports longitudinal data from the Early Language in Victoria Study (ELVS) at 4 and 7 years of age. Of 1494 participants, 93 made non-age appropriate...

Some children’s speech impairment resolves spontaneously. Others have persistent problems affecting academic and social development. Identifying early markers that reliably predict long-term outcome would allow better prioritization for preschool intervention. This article evaluates the significance of different types of speech errors, made by 93 f...

Cross-language McGurk Effects are used to investigate the locus of auditory–visual speech integration. Experiment 1 uses the fact that [ ], as in ‘si ng ’, is phonotactically legal in word-final position in English and Thai, but in word-initial position only in Thai. English and Thai language participants were tested for ‘n’ perception from auditor...

Previous research indicates that children with speech sound disorders (SSD) have underlying phonological memory deficits. The SSD population, however, is diverse. While children who make consistent atypical speech errors (phonological disorder/PhDis) are known to have executive function deficits in rule abstraction and cognitive flexibility, little...

Objective: To examine predictors of speech disorder resolution versus persistence at age 7 years in children with speech errors at age 4 years. Study design: Participants were drawn from a longitudinal, community cohort. Assessment at age 4 years (N?=?1494) identified children with speech errors. Reassessment at age 7 years allowed categorizatio...

Early identification of phonological disorders is important for Speech Language Pathologists who assess and treat children aged under three years. Normative data justifies identification and standard scores can evaluate intervention that might prevent the negative consequences associated with phonological disorder. Two studies evaluated the reliabi...

One in twenty Australian children suffers from a speech disorder. Early detection of such problems can significantly improve literacy and academic outcomes for these children, reduce health and educational burden and ongoing social costs. Here we present the development of a prototype and feasibility tests of a screening and decision support tool t...

While little is known about why children make speech errors, it has been hypothesized that cognitive-linguistic factors may underlie phonological speech sound disorders. This study compared the phonological short-term and phonological working memory abilities (using immediate memory tasks) and receptive vocabulary size of 14 monolingual preschool c...

One in twenty Australian children suffers from a speech disorder. Early detection of such problems can significantly improve literacy and academic outcomes for these children, reduce health and educational burden and ongoing social costs. Here we present the development of a prototype and feasibility tests of a screening and decision support tool t...

Aims and objectives This study documents early lexical expression in children whose language input in the home was predominantly Maltese, accompanied by regular exposure to English lexical mixing. Bilingualism and language contact were also present at the societal level. The study attempts to determine whether the children’s pattern of vocabulary g...

Theoretical accounts and clinical management of pediatric speech sound disorders (SSD) are limited by previous research. Participants’ speech difficulties have been inadequately described, reflecting the lack of clarity in existing diagnostic guidelines. Performance measures have primarily focused on the articulation of consonants in single words r...

Dynamic assessments (DA) of language have been shown to be a useful addition to the battery of tests used to diagnose language impairments in children, and to evaluate their skills. The current article explores the value of the information gained from a DA in planning intervention for a child with language impairment. A single case study was used t...

This study evaluated a bilingual intervention in the key learning area of mathematics. Nine typically developing Samoan–English students received math lessons in both Samoan and English. A control group of Samoan–English students received all lessons in English. The material covered and the amount of instruction was the same for each group. The onl...

The Dynamic Assessment of Preschoolers’ Proficiency in Learning English (DAPPLE) was developed in response to a clinical need to obtain information about bilingual children’s English language learning ability, particularly in the absence of detailed information regarding their proficiency in their other language/s. The assessment looked at children...

Speech-language pathologists are frequently required to assess culturally and linguistically diverse children. Achieving culturally sensitive, valid, and clinically feasible assessment of children in this population can be challenging. Several assessment options are available; however, the literature lacks discussion around clinical reasoning and d...

This study evaluated whether core vocabulary intervention (CVT) improved single word speech accuracy, consistency and intelligibility in four 9−11-year-old children with profound sensori-neural deafness fitted with cochlear implants and/or digital hearing aids. Their speech was characterized by inconsistent production of different error forms for t...

Investigations of early vocabulary production often employ a single method to measure children's word use. This study examined expressive vocabulary development in children aged 1;0-2;6 years through a combination of picture naming, caregiver report and language sampling. The participants were predominantly exposed to Maltese at home, with gathered...

Previous research on bilingual children's phonological awareness (PA) abilities is contradictory. Some studies suggest that bilinguals are advantaged compared to monolinguals, benefiting literacy acquisition. Other research indicates that any advantage in PA skills is transient, influenced by language learning context, proficiency in both languages...

The literature asserts that language impairment always manifests in both languages of a bilingual child. The case reported describes a boy, aged eight whose first language (L1, Vietnamese) is intact while his acquisition of English (L2, learned from four years) is significantly impaired. Culturally appropriate language assessments included dynamic...

Abstract The aim of this study was to track students' critical thinking performance longitudinally through concept map analysis in a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum. Concept map analysis has been employed in the assessment of students' critical thinking in medical education. Little is known concerning concept mapping (CM) in speech-language...

Limited word production may be the first indicator of impaired language development. The unavailability of normative data and standardized assessments for young Maltese children hinders the identification of early language delays. This study aimed to document Maltese children's expressive vocabulary growth and accompanying range of variation, to as...

The DAPPLE (Dynamic Assessment of Preschoolers’ Proficiency in Learning English) is currently being developed in response to a clinical need. Children exposed to English as an additional language may be referred to speech and language therapy because their proficiency in English is not the same as their monolingual peers. Some, but not all, of thes...

Book synopsis: Paediatric speech and language therapists are challenged by diminished resources and increasingly complex caseloads. The new edition addresses their concerns. Norms for speech development are given, differentiating between the emergence of the ability to produce speech sounds (articulation) and typical developmental error patterns (p...

ABSTRACT This study investigated cross-linguistic influence in acquisition of a second lexicon, evaluating Samoan-English sequentially bilingual children (initial mean age 4 ; 9) during their first 18 months of school. Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary tasks evaluated acquisition of four word types: cognates, matched nouns, phrasal nouns and holo...

Sentence construction and syntactic organization are known to be poor in children with specific language impairments (SLI), but little is known about the way in which children with SLI approach language tasks, and static standardized tests contribute little to the differentiation of skills within the population of children with language impairments...

Although children with speech impairment are at increased risk for impaired literacy, many learn to read and spell without difficulty. Around half the children with speech impairment have delayed acquisition, making errors typical of a normally developing younger child (e.g. reducing consonant clusters so that spoon is pronounced as ‘poon’). A smal...

A randomized controlled trial was conducted of a whole-service cohort of children referred to the Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy Service of Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust between January 1999 and April 2000. The 730 children involved, aged up to 16 years, were diagnosed with primary speech and/or language impairment in the absence of any...

Aim: The cognitive-linguistic abilities of 2 subgroups of children with speech impairment were compared to better understand underlying deficits that might influence effective intervention. Methods: Two groups of 23 children, aged 3;3 to 5;6, performed executive function tasks assessing cognitive flexibility and nonverbal rule abstraction. Followin...

This article focuses on the development of a Literacy Assessment Battery for the diagnosis of Maltese children with specific learning difficulties. It forms part of a wider research study involving testing of 549 children in Malta as well as standardisation of the tool. Results of the children's performance and psychometric validation go beyond the...

Two experiments investigated the nature of the code in which lip-read speech is processed. In Experiment 1 subjects repeated words, presented with lip-read and masked auditory components out of synchrony by 600 ms. In one condition the lip-read input preceded the auditory input, and in the second condition the auditory input preceded the lip-read i...

Current thinking about child native speech and language development is in broad agreement that a change from non-language specific to native language specific perception occurs in the first year of life (Werker & Tees, 1984; Werker & Polka. 1993; Kuhl, Williams, Lacerada, Stevens, & Lindblom, 1992). With language experience non-native speech contra...

IntroductionLanguage in Populations with Impaired CognitionLanguage Disorders in the Absence of Intellectual Impairment or Sensory DeficitsConclusion References

Sentence imitation has been identified as a good indicator of children's language skills, with performance differentiating children with specific language impairment and showing relationships with other language measures. It has a number of advantages over other methods of assessment. The assessment of morphosyntax in children who have severe speec...

Children who have sensory, cognitive or oromotor deficits, or come from a bilingual-speaking background are currently excluded from the diagnosis of specific language impairment (SLI). Emerging evidence, however, suggests that at least 7% of all children have language learning difficulties, irrespective of other diagnoses or language learning backg...

Background: The link between spoken and written language has prompted the development of phonological awareness interventions for children with literacy difficulties. Aims: This study examined the longer term effects of an integrated phonological awareness intervention for children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Method: Twelve children age...

This study examined the lexical development of nine Samoan-English bilingual children during their first year in English speaking preschools in Australia. Receptive and expressive lexicon in Samoan and English was assessed when the children had completed their first term of school (approximately 10 weeks) and then 6 months later. The bilingual chil...

Many countries have large minority ethnic populations who rely on majority language speakers to refer them for assessment of communication disorders. This study addresses the questions: do referral patterns for bilingual children match those of their monolingual peers and can risk factors be identified to facilitate future referrals? Data were exam...

Previous research has rarely compared the contributions of different underlying abilities to phonological acquisition. In this study, the auditory-visual speech perception, oro-motor and rule abstraction skills of 62 typically developing two-year olds were assessed and contrasted with the accuracy of their spoken phonology. Measures included audito...

This study is an examination of the longitudinal effects of an integrated phonological awareness approach for identical twin boys with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Genetic and environmental factors in the boys' responses to the intervention were also examined. Theo and Jamie (aged 4;5) each participated in 18 hours of intervention prior to sc...

This study examines the literacy outcomes for children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds who had received specific whole-class phonological awareness (PA) and language intervention in preschool. The participants were 57 children who had been involved in the original intervention study. Their PA skills, letter-sound knowledge, real word and no...

Background and Aim: This study investigated the effectiveness of an integrated phonological awareness approach for children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). Change in speech, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, word decoding, and spelling skills were examined. Method: A controlled multiple single-subject design was employed. Twelve chi...

An assessment for children with speech difficulties (Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology: DEAP), currently being standardised on an Irish population was evaluated. A clinical population of 57 children, aged between three and seven years, was assessed. The participants were either currently attending therapy or attending a review app...

Early intervention aims to prevent poor literacy outcomes associated with social disadvantage. This study examined whether the short-term positive effect of a preschool classroom-based oral language and phonological awareness (PA) programme was maintained and transferred to literacy 2 years later. The vocabulary knowledge, grammatical skill, audito...

Previous research suggests that the communicative competence of children with severe to profound hearing impairment varies greatly. However, this variation cannot simply be attributed to such obvious factors as mode of language learning or degree of hearing impairment. One way to investigate the factors underlying individual differences is by caref...

Developmental speech disorder affects up to 10% of the pre-school English-speaking population. However, speech disorder in Putonghua or Modern Standard Chinese (MSC)-speaking children has not been described. In this study the phonological systems of 33 Putonghua-speaking children with speech disorder were described. Quantitative measures (severity;...

The speech error patterns of seven Putonghua-speaking children with speech difficulties, who received no clinical intervention, were assessed twice over an interval of about 11 months. Qualitative measures (phonetic inventory, phonemic inventory, and phonological process use) and quantitative measures (severity score and inconsistency rating) were...

Speech-disordered children are not a homogeneous group in terms of ætiology, severity, surface error patterns or response to specific treatment approaches. Previous research has suggested that they fall into subgroups that reflect different underlying deficits in the speech-processing chain (Dodd, 1993). One way of evaluating this classification of...

The performance of four groups of speech-disordered children and a normal control group on tasks assessing volitional and non-volitional oral movements, fine motor skills and speech motor planning (novel word learning) were compared. Children whose phonological and/or articulation skills were slowly following the normal course of development did no...

Intervention focusing on phonological awareness activities for children with spoken language disorders is currently being promoted. This article raises issues about the appropriateness of intervention targeting phonological awareness abilities and cautions against the wide scale adoption of new interventions for children with differing symptoms of...

Developmental speech disorder is accounted for by theories derived from psychology, psycholinguistics, linguistics and medicine, with researchers developing assessment protocols that reflect their theoretical perspective. How theory and data analyses lead to different therapy approaches, however, is sometimes unclear. Here, we present a case manage...

Unintelligible speech in childhood is often characterised by the use of unusual or deviant (i.e. non-developmental) phonological processes, e.g. initial consonant deletion. These processes are reported to appear at speech onset and to undergo little spontaneous change during the preschool years. the study reported here documents the changes that oc...

This paper is the final paper in a special issue of Advances in Speech-Language Pathology. The paper presents an intervention case study of a 7 year old child with severe phonological difficulties described in Holm and Crosbie (8. Holm A., Crosbie S. Introducing Jarrod: A child with a phonological impairment. Advances in Speech-Language Pathology 2...

Most children's speech difficulties are `functional' (i.e. no known sensory, motor or intellectual deficits). Speech disorder may, however, be associated with cognitive deficits considered core abilities in executive function: rule abstraction and cognitive flexibility. The study compares the rule abstraction and cognitive flexibility of children w...

Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is associated with phonological awareness, reading, and spelling deficits. Comparing literacy skills in CAS with other developmental speech disorders is critical for understanding the complexity of the disorder. This study compared the phonological awareness and reading development of children with CAS and children...

Despite speech-language pathology (SLP) education undergoing many innovative changes over the years, there has been little research about learning or outcomes in SLP programs. Critical thinking in clinical decision-making, however, has been identified as a critical skill in SLP. Several recent studies have shown that concept mapping can be used to...

The study reported evaluated an assessment of phonology for 2-year-olds to establish normative data and determine if early identification of children with speech difficulties is possible. The study evaluated 62 2-year-old children on the Toddler Phonology Test (TPT). Children produced 32 words, spontaneously or in imitation. Ten of the children wer...

Children first exposed to English as a second language when they start school are at risk for poor academic outcome. They perform less well than their monolingual peers, matched for socio-economic background, at the end of primary school on measures of language and literacy, despite immersion in English at school. Previous research suggests, howeve...

Speech perception is often considered specific to the auditory modality, despite convincing evidence that speech processing is bimodal. The theoretical and clinical roles of speech-reading for speech perception, however, have received little attention in speech-language therapy. The role of speech-read information for speech perception is evaluated...

Children with unintelligible speech differ in severity, underlying deficit, type of surface error patterns and response to treatment. Detailed treatment case studies, evaluating specific intervention protocols for particular diagnostic groups, can identify best practice for children with speech disorder. Three treatment case studies evaluated the e...