Clear Speech Perception in Specific Language Impairment and Delayed Language Affecting Phonology Children

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the performance of children with specific language impairment (SLI) and delayed language affecting phonology on Arabic clear speech.Method: This prospective case-control study included 30 children suffering from SLI and delayed language affecting phonology with multiple phonological processes and 30 control children. Both groups were evaluated for their performance on the standardized Arabic clear speech test material. All participants have been assigned randomly to the study from the Phoniatrics outpatient clinic. Results were compared between the two groups.Results: A significant clear speech advantage was observed in intelligibility for all participants. Clear speech advantage in children with SLI and delayed language affecting phonology was 32 % over conversational speech (P = 0.002). Conclusion:Children with SLI and delayed language affecting phonology performed better on clear speech than on conversational speech. This study suggests the use of clear speech in evaluation and remediation of children with SLI and delayed language affecting phonology in order to correct their phonological processes and improve their ability to communicate.