As speech-language pathologists (SLPs), we are always looking for ways to improve our practice and deliver the best outcomes for our young clients. A recent study, "Speech Development Between 30 and 119 Months in Typical Children II: Articulation Rate Growth Curves," provides valuable insights that can enhance our understanding of speech development and inform our clinical decisions. This blog will discuss key findings from the study and offer practical applications for SLPs working with children.
Key Findings
The study analyzed the articulation rates of 570 typically developing children aged 30 to 119 months. The primary goal was to develop normative growth curves for articulation rate during sentence repetition. Here are some of the critical findings:
- Age-Related Growth: Articulation rate increases with age. The median rate increased from 2.7 syllables per second (sps) at 36 months to 3.3 sps at 96 months.
- Utterance Length: Longer utterances are associated with faster articulation rates. For example, a one-word increase in utterance length resulted in a corresponding increase in articulation rate.
- Adultlike Speech: The study found that articulation rates become adultlike by approximately 10 years of age. The 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles reached adultlike rates at 99, 75, and 53 months, respectively.
Practical Applications for SLPs
Understanding these findings can help SLPs make data-driven decisions in their practice. Here are some ways to implement these insights:
- Benchmarking Progress: Use the normative growth curves to benchmark a child's progress. For instance, if a 5-year-old's articulation rate is significantly below the 50th percentile, this may indicate a need for targeted intervention.
- Tailoring Interventions: Recognize that articulation rate varies with utterance length. Incorporate a variety of utterance lengths in therapy to challenge and improve a child's articulation rate effectively.
- Setting Realistic Goals: Set realistic, age-appropriate goals based on the study's findings. Knowing that children typically reach adultlike articulation rates by around 10 years can help in setting long-term objectives.
Encouraging Further Research
While this study provides a robust foundation, further research is needed to explore how these findings can be applied to children with speech disorders. SLPs are encouraged to contribute to this growing body of knowledge by conducting their own research or collaborating with academic institutions.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Speech Development Between 30 and 119 Months in Typical Children II: Articulation Rate Growth Curves.
