Master of Arts, Case Western Reserve University, 2020, Communication Sciences
Purpose: The primary aims of this study were to examine narrative skills in children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) compared to children with speech sound disorder with and without language impairment (SSD+LI, SSD-only). Method: Participants were preschool-aged children with diagnosed CAS, SSD-only, and SSD+LI. Diagnoses were confirmed by a certified speech-language pathologist with standardized speech and language testing. Participants completed narrative retell task with the Fox and Bear story. Performance in narrative microstructure, macrostructure and comprehension were compared with analysis of variance between the three groups. Results: Participants with CAS told narratives that contained fewer story sequence items, and limited vocabulary. Analysis revealed slight differences in expressive language skills between participants with CAS and SSD+LI. Conclusions: Children with CAS experience deficits in later literacy predictors. Intervention for children with CAS should focus expressive language skills, in addition to speech sound production.
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Committee: Lewis Barbara PhD (Committee Chair); Mental Rebecca CCC-SLP, PhD. (Committee Member); Short Elizabeth PhD (Committee Member)
Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Language; Literacy; Speech Therapy