Synergistic Development of Phonetic Skill

Abstract

Fey (1985; reprinted 1992, this issue) described children’s disordered speech sound production using a combination of phonological and traditional articulatory constructs that are not specifically related to levels of language organization higher than the morpheme or word form. This theoretical viewpoint coincides with current testing and treatment procedures that focus on production, perception, and categorization of word pairs that have been selected by the clinician because of their phonological properties. This article will argue that such an approach is not necessarily the most efficacious for preschool children with phonological delay who also exhibit delayed semantic-syntactic development. A model of verbal communication that unites phonetic, phonological, and higher organizational levels will be described. Treatment strategies related to this model will be exemplified.