Phonological performance measured by speech severity indices compared with correlated factors.
OBJECTIVE
Some factors seem to influence speech impairment among phonologically disordered children. The aim was to compare severity indices with some correlated factors.


METHODS
Observational, analytical and cross-sectional study conducted within the Language-Speech-Hearing Sciences Course, Universidade de São Paulo.


METHODS
Fifty phonologically disordered children with ages ranging from 4 to 11 years took part. The indices were calculated from phonology tests and were correlated with anamnesis and audiological data. Students t test and Spearmans correlation were used to compare percentages of consonants correct (PCC) and process density index (PDI) for children with and without otitis, upper respiratory histories and audiological abnormalities, with regard to whether or not they were comprehended during assessment, their ages when they started to speak and their ages at the assessment.


RESULTS
The higher the age at the assessment was, the higher the PCC (imitation: 0.468; naming: 0.431; Spearmans correlation) and the lower the PDI (imitation: 0.459; naming: 0.431); the later the child started to speak, the lower the PCC (imitation p = 0.064; naming p = 0.050) and the higher the PDI (imitation p = 0.067; naming p = 0.042). There were differences between groups with and without upper respiratory history (PCC: imitation p = 0.016, naming p = 0.005; PDI: imitation p = 0.014, naming p = 0.008). There was no difference between the groups regarding otitis, comprehension during the assessment and audiological data.


CONCLUSIONS
Children with upper respiratory histories who began to speak later presented more severe speech impairment indices.
Wertzner
Haydée Fiszbein
HF
Department of Physiotherapy, Language-Speech-Hearing Sciences and Occupational Therapy, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil. hfwertzn@usp.br
Amaro
Luciana
L
Galea
Daniela Evaristo Dos Santos
DE
D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D010031:Otitis / Q000150:complications*; D010700:Phonetics; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013062:Speech Articulation Tests / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*