title: Effect of gap detection threshold on consistency of speech in children with speech sound disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study examined the relationship between gap detection threshold and speech error consistency in children with speech sound disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants were children five to six years of age who were categorized into three groups of typical speech, consistent speech disorder (CSD) and inconsistent speech disorder (ISD).The phonetic gap detection threshold test was used for this study, which is a valid test comprised six syllables with inter-stimulus intervals between 20-300ms. The participants were asked to listen to the recorded stimuli three times and indicate whether they heard one or two sounds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference between the typical and CSD groups (p=0.55), but there were significant differences in performance between the ISD and CSD groups and the ISD and typical groups (p=0.00). The ISD group discriminated between speech sounds at a higher threshold.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with inconsistent speech errors could not distinguish speech sounds during time-limited phonetic discrimination. It is suggested that inconsistency in speech is a representation of inconsistency in auditory perception, which causes by high gap detection threshold.
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech Therapy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fateme
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sayyahi
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech Therapy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: Soleymaniz@sina.tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Soleymani
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech Therapy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akbari
authors.affiliation: Department of Linguistics, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bijankhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Behrooz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dolatshahi
mesh_terms: D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010700:Phonetics; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D066229:Speech Sound Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013998:Time Perception / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Consistency of speech; Gap detection threshold; Speech sound disorder