Phonological Recoding Problems in Children with Severe Congenital Speech Impairments — The Importance of Productive Speech

Abstract

Children with severe expressive speech impairments usually show significant difficulties in acquiring reading and spelling skills. Reading and spelling abilities in 7 nonvocal pre-school children (chronological age 5-7 years) with cerebral palsy were subject to study. In the study, major reading and spelling difficulties were found. The results were compared with the results of IQ-matched children. Precursors to acquisition of literacy skills, previously identified to be of importance in the vocal population, were assessed in all groups. These were verbal and visual memory and phonological awareness. The groups performed equally well on the different indicators of phonological awareness that were used. The groups differed in verbal short-term memory but performed on a comparable level on a visual memory task. Inability to articulate might be an important factor in the reading and spelling problems found in the nonvocal population, since lack of speech could make it more difficult to create and maintain an auditory representation in working memory, stable enough to allow elaboration during decoding and encoding. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)