Articulation Deficits in Children with Hearing Impairment and Children with Specific Language Impairment - a Matched-pairs-study

Background: Children with hearing impairment commonly present with articulation deficits. This is considered one main characteristic. Methods and patients: 24 pairs of children (5;00-6;11 yrs) with articulation deficits in the context of a language disorder were matched in the severity of the language disorder, age, gender and nonverbal intelligence. Of each matched pair one child had a hearing impairment, the other a specific language impairment. Both groups were compared for their articulation. In children with hearing impairment the influence of the severity of the hearing loss was evaluated. Results: In both groups the same type of articulation deficit for consonants was found. Both groups of children had most frequently problems with sibilants. Children with specific language impairment had slightly more severe articulation deficits. In unvoiced plosives children with specific language impairment demonstrated more often substitutions. The severity of the language disorder, but not the severity of the articulation deficit, was correlated with the degree of hearing loss. Conclusion: Articulation deficits in children with hearing impairment are slightly less than in children with specific language impairment, but follow the same pattern.