Speech Perception Skills of Children With Speech Sound Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate whether preschool- and early school–age children with speech sound disorders (SSDs) have difficulties with speech perception. Method Systematic searching of 8 electronic databases identified 73 eligible studies across 71 articles examining the speech perception skills of children with SSDs. The findings and methodological characteristics of each study were reviewed, and the reporting of methodological information in each article was rated. A meta-analysis was conducted with studies that used the most common type of speech perception assessment task—lexical and/or phonetic judgment tasks. Results Across 60 of 73 studies, some or all children with SSDs were reported to have difficulties with speech perception. The meta-analysis showed a significant difference between children with SSDs and children with typically developing speech on lexical and/or phonetic judgment tasks. Conclusion Results from the meta-analysis demonstrate that children with SSDs have difficulties with speech perception. This appears to be the case for some but not all children with SSDs. The findings from this systematic review and meta-analysis also provide insight into the complex range of methodological issues involved in the study of speech perception in children with SSDs and the need for further research. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.9808361

Speech input processing in children born with cleft palate: A systematic literature review with narrative synthesis

“…Using the categories of speech perception assessment presented by Hearnshaw et al (2019), there was evidence of differences in performance between children with and without CP±L in: discrimination of minimal and repeated contrast non-word pairs (Finnegan 1974), categorical perception of a specific minimal pair (Whitehill et al 2003) and a sound indication task (Lemos and Feniman 2010). No evidence was found for differences between groups on phonological awareness tasks (rhyme and alliteration awareness) meeting the inclusion criteria of a speech input processing task for this review (Anderson et al 2016, Collett et al 2010.…”

“…This could have implications for the incorporation of these skills into assessment and intervention plans. Locke (1980a) proposed that speech input processing assessment should centre on the specific speech errors that children produce and Hearnshaw et al (2019) reported that children with non-cleft-related SSD had difficulties with speech input processing of sounds they produced in error in 86% of 30 relevant studies included in their review. Therefore, this aspect of speech input processing appears to warrant further investigation in children born with CP±L.…”

“…Specific speech input processing skills include identifying sounds and segments of sounds in words or non-words, identifying differences between sounds and words, and identifying when a word has been produced incorrectly with reference to a stored representation of the word (Baker et al 2001, McLeod and Baker 2017, Stackhouse 2001, Stackhouse and Wells 1997. These skills can be assessed using identification or discrimination tasks requiring forced/binary (e.g., same/different) choices between words or non-words, mispronunciation detection, and lexical or phonetic judgement tasks and sound indication tasks (Rvachew 2006, Stackhouse et al 2007, Hearnshaw et al 2019. A child's ability to perceive or recognize their own speech production errors has also been highlighted as an important speech input processing skill (Lof and Synan 1997).…”

“…A child's ability to perceive or recognize their own speech production errors has also been highlighted as an important speech input processing skill (Lof and Synan 1997). These types of task are commonly referred to as speech perception tasks, with most falling under one or more of the eight criteria for clinically useful speech perception assessment proposed by Locke (1980a) and summarized concisely by Hearnshaw et al (2019).…”

A Comprehensive Treatment Approach to Address Speech Production and Literacy Skills in School-Age Children with Speech Sound Disorders

“…7 A systematic review of children with SSD ages 3;0 to 8;2 found that the majority of them presented with speech perception difficulties. 8 In addition, a recent study of the perception of medial consonants of children ages 4;0 to 5;11 found that all participants with SSD obtained lower speech perception scores than the children with typical speech. 9 Examination of the types of speech errors produced by a child with SSD is not sufficient to determine what underlying difficulties may be present.…”