Determining the Relationship Between Speech Motor and LanguageProcesses in Children with Stuttering
Year: 2023
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Many explanations of the start and development of stuttering, a problem of speech output that often develops in the preschool years, point to linguistic and motor processes as important underlying components. However, research on the speech motor control mechanisms in stuttering preschoolers is scarce. Hearing and repeating nonwords triggers various brain networks, including those involved in phonological processing, storage, and speech motor programming and execution. The speech motor and language skills of 31 children who were identified as stuttering and were between the ages of 4-5 were examined using this test. A study identifies children with stuttering who also have concurrent language and/or phonological impairments. About half of the children had these impairments. Prior research demonstrated that on nonword repetition tasks, stuttering children who also had concurrent language or speech sound impairments made more errors. However, children with stuttering diagnoses but normal speech and language skills executed the test as accurately as their fluent peers. Children with stuttering exhibited higher variability in oral motor coordination during accurate and fluent nonword productions. The findings suggest that preschoolers with stuttering lag behind their normally developing counterparts in the development of speech motor control mechanisms. The study also explores the implications for new diagnostic approaches and intervention strategies.
Source: Periodicals of Social Sciences
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7220516746