Polysyllable productions in preschool children with speech sound disorders: Error categories and the Framework of Polysyllable Maturity.
Children with speech sound disorders (SSD) find polysyllables difficult; however, routine sampling and measurement of speech accuracy are insufficient to describe polysyllable accuracy and maturity. This study had two aims: (1) compare two speech production tasks and (2) describe polysyllable errors within the Framework of Polysyllable Maturity.



Ninety-three preschool children with SSD from the Sound Start Study (4;0-5;5 years) completed the Polysyllable Preschool Test (POP) and the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology (DEAP-Phonology).



Vowel accuracy was significantly different between the POP and the DEAP-Phonology. Polysyllables were analysed using the seven Word-level Analysis of Polysyllables (WAP) error categories: (1) substitution of consonants or vowels (97.8% of children demonstrated common use), (2) deletion of syllables, consonants or vowels (65.6%), (3) distortion of consonants or vowels (0.0%), (4) addition of consonants or vowels (0.0%), (5) alteration of phonotactics (77.4%), (6) alteration of timing (63.4%) and (7) assimilation or alteration of sequence (0.0%). The Framework of Polysyllable Maturity described five levels of maturity based on children's errors.



Polysyllable productions of preschool children with SSD can be analysed and categorised using the WAP and interpreted using the Framework of Polysyllable Maturity.
a Charles Sturt University , Bathurst , Australia .
Sarah
S
Masso
a Charles Sturt University , Bathurst , Australia .
Sharynne
S
McLeod
b The University of Sydney , Australia , and.
Elise
E
Baker
c Charles Sturt University , Albury , Australia and The University of Sheffield, UK.
Jane
J
McCormack
D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013068:Speech Production Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D066229:Speech Sound Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*
Speech sound disorders; assessment; multisyllables; phonology; polysyllables; speech impairment