Factors associated with speech-sound stimulability

Speech-sound stimulability as a clinical procedure has been used in speech-language pathology for more than 60 years although review of the archival literature on this clinical construct provides little information on what factors may be associated with it. In this study, the factors found to relate to stimulability were articulation visibility, the child's age, the family's socioeconomic status, and the child's overall imitative abilities. Perception, severity, otitis media history, language abilities, consistency of productions, amount of stimulations provided, and willingness to self-correct were not associated with stimulability. Potential explanations are provided on the basis of prior research.