Prevalence of Phonological Processes in Normal Two-Year Olds
Preisser, Debra Ann Goldenstein
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/70677
Description
Title
Prevalence of Phonological Processes in Normal Two-Year Olds
Author(s)
Preisser, Debra Ann Goldenstein
Issue Date
1983
Department of Study
Speech and Hearing Science
Discipline
Speech and Hearing Science
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Health Sciences, Speech Pathology
Abstract
Although information concerning phonemic acquisition skills of children three years of age and older is adequate to determine if a child's speech inadequacies are abnormal at that age, very little has been reported on the speech development of children younger than three years of age. The development of phonological process theory has improved the means for studying the emerging phonological skills of the younger child. An adequate description of the sequential suppression of processes in normal phonological development is presently unavailable. The purpose of this investigation, then, was to determine what phonological processes characterize the speech of two-year-old children and the extent of their use. For this purpose the productions of 60 children between 1:6 and 2:6 were analyzed with regard to phonological processes. Mean percentages of occurrence of phonological processes demonstrated by these 60 subjects were compared.
Results indicated that cluster reduction and liquid deviation were the most prevalent processes and showed relatively little change over the 12-month age span. Stridency deletion and velar deviation occurred with moderate frequency and showed moderate reduction. By 2:5, stridency deletion occurred predominantly in clusters rather than as singletons or stopping. Stopping, a process frequently-cited in the literature, was not prevalent, even in the youngest subjects. Distortion of sibilants increased at this age, although no lateralization was noted. Such syllable structure processes as syllable reduction, prevocalic and postvocalic singleton obstruent deletion were demonstrated infrequently and showed the greatest amount of decrease during this age span.
Results of this study provide insight into the rate of change of phonological processes after two-word utterances have emerged. Information from this study contributes to the description of normal phonological development in young children. Further research is needed, however, to completely describe the emerging sound system. This description will assist in identification of phonologically-disordered children at younger ages in order that intervention programs can be implemented earlier.
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