Diagnostic Characteristics of Phonological Impairment from the Perspective of Lithuanian SLTs

Theoretical background. Children with speech sound disorders (SSDs) comprise a large portion of caseloads for SLTs (Cabbage Farquharson & DeVeney, 2022). These are split into two categories (Stringer et al., 2022): motor and linguistic. Motor includes articulation disorder, childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), dysarthria, linguistic – phonological delay, consistent and inconsistent phonological disorder. The key term "phonological impairment (PI)" will be used further in this paper. According McLeod & Baker (2017), it to cover both phonological delay and disorder. It is necessary to specify, that a separate subtype „phonological delay“ is not distinguished in the classification of Lithuania. Diagnostic characteristics of PI are the focus of numerous english-based research. However, the need for more studies on this type SSD across varios languages due to linguistic differences is obvious. Purpose. To identify, from the perspective of Lithuanian SLTs, diagnostic characteristics of PI, manifestation of them. Research method. Questionnaire-based e-survey for SLTs (N=162), who provide speech and language therapy to children with the PI, was used. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis were employed. This poster presentation will be prepared as a part of the doctoral dissertation research (see references), defended in 2022. Findings and discussion. Research data show the following 5 main diagnostic features, which are significant when differentiating and identifying the PI, in the point of Lithuanian SLTs’ view: difficulties of the phonological awareness; speech and adjacent difficulties in learning; consistent errors in substituting, omitting, assimilating sounds; alterations in speech motor skills; difficulties in the use of sounds in speech and, finally, repetition of syllables and words. Practitioners rate more highly PI characteristics, that are related with difficulties in the use of sound in speech, repetition of words and phonological awareness. To sum up the results, it could be declared that the diagnostic features of PI is not exactly precise in comparison to the concept prevailing in foreign countries. Keywords: phonological impairment, speech sound disorder, diagnostic characteristics, perspective of Lithuanian SLTs.

References:
1. Daniutė, S. (2022). The Relationship Between Applied Phonological Disorder Treatment Approaches and Evidence-based Speech and language Therapy Practice [Summary of Doctoral dissertation, Vilniaus University]. Vilnius.