The Relationship Between Speech, Language, and Phonological Awareness in Preschool-Age Children With Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

Purpose A number of intrinsic factors, including expressive speech skills, have been suggested to place children with developmental disabilities at risk for limited development of reading skills. This study examines the relationship between these factors, speech ability, and children's phonological awareness skills. Method A nonexperimental study design was used to examine the relationship between intrinsic skills of speech, language, print, and letter–sound knowledge to phonological awareness in 42 children with developmental disabilities between the ages of 48 and 69 months. Hierarchical multiple regression was done to determine if speech ability accounted for a unique amount of variance in phonological awareness skill beyond what would be expected by developmental skills inclusive of receptive language and print and letter–sound knowledge. Results A range of skill in all areas of direct assessment was found. Children with limited speech were found to have emerging skills in print knowledge, letter–sound knowledge, and phonological awareness. Speech ability did not predict a significant amount of variance in phonological awareness beyond what would be expected by developmental skills of receptive language and print and letter–sound knowledge. Conclusion Children with limited speech ability were found to have receptive language and letter–sound knowledge that supported the development of phonological awareness skills. This study provides implications for practitioners and researchers concerning the factors related to early reading development in children with limited speech ability and developmental disabilities.