The integrity of the syllable in developmental apraxia of speech.
Three children with developmental apraxia of speech (DAS) identified the number of syllables in words, judged intrasyllabic sound positions, and constructed syllable shapes within monosyllabic frames. Results suggest that DAS children demonstrate an apparent breakdown in the ability to perceive "syllableness" and to access and compare syllable representations with regard to position and structure. Based on these findings, DAS is viewed as a disorder characterized by an impoverished phonological representation system.


OBJECTIVE
On the basis of this article, the reader will be able to (1) describe the deficits in syllabic perception demonstrated by some participants with DAS; (2) examine the utility of metalinguistic tasks in the differential diagnosis of DAS; and (3) evaluate the findings with respect to competing theoretical perspectives on DAS.
Marquardt
Thomas P
TP
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Texas, Austin 78712, USA. tmarq@mail.utexas.edu
Sussman
Harvey M
HM
Snow
Theresa
T
Jacks
Adam
A
D001072:Apraxias / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index