The recent study "Production of Word-Initial Consonant Sequences by Francophone Preschoolers with a Developmental Phonological Disorder" offers crucial insights for speech-language pathologists (S-LPs) working with children. This research, conducted by Rvachew, Leroux, and Brosseau-Lapré, provides a comprehensive analysis of the consonant sequence errors made by 50 Francophone children aged 46 to 69 months receiving treatment for developmental phonological disorder (DPD).
The study's primary aim was to describe the patterns of word-initial consonant sequence errors among these children. The findings highlighted significant variability in error types, emphasizing the need for language-specific developmental norms when planning phonological interventions.
Key Findings
- Consonant sequences were misarticulated by all participants, with a mean of 5.52 sequences misarticulated per child.
- The accuracy of consonant sequence production varied significantly across different words and types of sequences.
- Children exhibited a higher accuracy for sequences involving well-established segments in their phonetic repertoire, such as /l/ and /w/ clusters.
- Errors involving spreading of the dorsal feature were common, particularly in sequences involving /w/ and /Ê/ clusters.
- Unlike English-speaking children, Francophone children did not exhibit epenthesis (insertion of a vowel between consonants) in their error patterns.
Clinical Implications
The study provides several actionable recommendations for S-LPs working with Francophone children with DPD:
1. Early Intervention
Cluster reduction is a natural process in speech development, but Francophone children are expected to master consonant sequences at an early age, particularly in word-initial positions. Children who continue to misarticulate these clusters past the age of 48 months likely need speech therapy. Targeting these clusters with the expectation of phonological and phonetic mastery is appropriate.
2. Addressing Dorsal Spreading Errors
Errors involving the spreading of the dorsal feature within /Ê/ and /w/ clusters, such as train [kÊa] and doigt [gwa], are common in Francophone children. These errors, which might be considered atypical in English-speaking children, should be viewed as typical phonological errors in French and addressed accordingly.
3. Considering French Prosody
French prosody should be taken into account when targeting clusters in therapy. Practice should focus on the word-initial position of two-syllable words within a phrase, promoting generalization to easier contexts. For example, practicing the [fÊ] cluster in phrases like une framboise may promote generalization to phrases like des fraises.
Encouraging Further Research
The findings from this study highlight the need for further research into the phonological development of Francophone children with DPD. Future studies should aim to:
- Include a broader age range to better understand the development and resolution of error patterns.
- Investigate the potential differences in speech articulation accuracy between monolingual and multilingual children with DPD.
- Develop more balanced and comprehensive word lists to sample different types of consonant sequences.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Production of Word-Initial Consonant Sequences by Francophone Preschoolers with a Developmental Phonological Disorder.
