Phonological acquisition of Brazilian Portuguese: Ages of customary production, acquisition and mastery.

BACKGROUND: AIMS: To describe typical phonological development of Brazilian Portuguese (BP)-speaking children, considering the following parameters: age of customary production, acquisition and mastery. METHODS & PROCEDURES: Data were collected from 857 children aged between 3 years and 8 years 11 months with typical language and speech development. The sample was grouped into 6-month age bands. The data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Games-Howell post-hoc tests. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: Stops (/p, b, t, d, k, g/), nasals (/m, n, ɲ/) and some fricatives (/f, v, s, z/) were mastered before the age of 3 years (age of mastery). The age of acquisition for phonemes /ʃ, ʒ/ was 3;6, though both were only mastered at 4;0 years. The liquid /l/ was acquired at 3;0 and mastered at age 3;6, while /x/ was acquired and mastered at age 3;6. The phoneme /ʎ/ was acquired at 7;0 and mastered at age 8;6. The tap /ɾ/ was acquired between the ages of 4;0 and 4;6, and mastered at 4;6. In coda position, /n, l/ were acquired at 3;0, while /s/ was mastered at 4;6 and /ɾ/ between 4;6 and 5;0 years. Clusters involving /ɾ/ were acquired at 6;0, while those with /l/ were acquired between the ages of 6;6 and 7;0. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: This study presented acquisition for consonants in BP and can be used as a reference for the assessment of developmental speech disorders. In this study, stops and nasals were acquired first, followed by fricatives and, lastly, liquids. This finding is corroborated by previous studies in BP and other languages. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject What this paper adds to existing knowledge What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?

Normative Features of Phoneme Acquisition in Brazilian Portuguese.

PURPOSE: To analyze the influence of gender, age, and types of school (public or private) on phoneme production, and provide normative data on phonological acquisition in Brazilian Portuguese (BP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 733 children (ages 3 years to 8 years and 11 months), all monolingual speakers of BP with typical phonological development. Participants were evaluated using the spontaneous naming task from the Phonological Assessment Tool (Instrumento de Avaliação Fonológica - INFONO). The children's speech production was audio-recorded, transcribed, and submitted to phonological analysis. RESULTS: The effect of age was significant for all phonemes and syllable structures, especially when analyzed in combination with types of school and gender. Overall, phoneme production accuracy increased with age and varied depending on the types of school attended by the children, but did not differ between genders. CONCLUSION: Age had a greater impact on phoneme production. The normative data on phonological acquisition highlighted the differences between the ages of mastery for different phonemes, with elements such as the /r/ sound and complex onsets being acquired much later in development than some of the other phonemes analyzed.

Development of the Digital Speech Assessment Instrument.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop a Digital Speech Assessment Instrument to evaluate the phonological and motor speech skills of Brazilian Portuguese-speaking children and adolescents through six tasks: (a) word naming, (b) word imitation, (c) pseudoword imitation, (d) word repetition, (e) pseudoword repetition, and (f) diadochokinesis. METHOD: The assessment instrument was developed and validated in a seven-step process, beginning with stimulus selection and ending with Pilot Study 1 (involving children and adolescents with typical speech development) and Pilot Study 2 (involving children and adolescents with speech sound disorders [SSDs]). Participants of the study included expert and nonexpert judges, children, and adolescents. RESULTS: The Digital Speech Assessment Instrument contains 91 real words (61 in the naming task, 51 in the imitation task, and five in the repetition task), 26 pseudowords (26 in the imitation task and four in the repetition task), and six stimuli for diadochokinesis. The test contains stimuli in the form of images as well as audio and video recordings and allows for the analysis and storage of participant data in a virtual database. CONCLUSIONS: This study described the development of the Digital Speech Assessment Instrument, available in Brazilian Portuguese for the evaluation of several aspects of speech production (including word and pseudoword naming, imitation, and repetition and diadochokinesis). The test was developed for children aged 2;0 (years;months) to 17;11 and is administered fully online. In the future, the instrument can be used to provide a timely and accurate diagnosis of SSDs.

Content validity of the Profiles of Early Expressive Phonological Skills-Brazilian Portuguese (PEEPS-BP) - Expanded List. / Validade de conteúdo do Profiles of Early Expressive Phonological Skills-Brazilian Portuguese (PEEPS-BP) - Lista Expandida.

PURPOSE: To carry out the cross-cultural adaptation of the Instrument Profiles of Early Expressive Phonological Skills- Brazilian Portuguese (PEEPS-BP) - Expanded list, performing content validation. METHODS: Cross-cultural, quantitative and cross- sectional adaptation study, considering psychometric criteria. A study was carried out on the list of 423 words from the Communicative Development Inventory - MacArthur - Words and Sentences, adapted to Brazilian Portuguese. The method was divided into four steps. The list was judged by expert judges (JE) and non-specialist judges (JNE), considering as a criterion the familiarity of the word for a child aged between 24 and 36 months, and the representativeness of the word with toy/object, contemplating Steps 1 and 2. The child judges analyzed, in a data collection situation, the familiarity and representativeness of the stimulus-words, presented in Step 3. Afterwards, the pilot study - Step 4, was carried out with the selected stimulus-words. In the statistical analysis by expert and non-specialist judges, the Fleiss' Kappa and Gwet Concordance index was used. In the analysis of the responses of the child judges and in the Pilot Study, the analysis was made in relation to the type of response of the child, specifically scoring the spontaneous naming of the toy/object, scoring qualitatively. RESULTS: The result of Steps 1 and 2, and the agreement of the statistical tests for the Familiarity and Representativeness criteria was 45.7% for JE and 76.4% for JNE, and a result of 100% for the agreement of Representativeness. A total of 122 words were analyzed, resulting from previously established criteria, totaling 34 words (exclusion of one word by the researchers), totaling 33 stimulus-words. In Stage 3, of the 33 stimulus-words applied, nine presented spontaneous naming scores below expectations, being retested for Step 4, the Pilot Study. The result of the Pilot Study showed that of the nine retested stimulus-words, four of them still had a score below, being excluded from the study. Therefore, with the application of the Pilot Study, the expanded list of PEEPS-BP resulted in 29 words. CONCLUSION: The PEEPS-BP - Expanded List showed satisfactory evidence of content validity for the cross-cultural adaptation of the test.

OBJETIVO: Realizar a adaptação transcultural do Instrumento Profiles of Early Expressive Phonological Skills- Brazilian Portuguese (PEEPS-BP) - Lista expandida, realizando a validação de conteúdo. MÉTODO: Estudo de adaptação transcultural, quantitativo e transversal, considerando critérios psicométricos. Realizou-se o estudo da lista de 423 palavras do Inventário de Desenvolvimento Comunicativo- MacArthur- Palavras e Sentenças, adaptado para o Português Brasileiro. O método foi dividido em quatro Etapas. A lista foi julgada por juízes especialistas (JE) e juízes não especialistas (JNE), considerando como critério a familiaridade da palavra para uma criança entre 24 e 36 meses, e a representatividade da palavra com brinquedo/objeto, contemplando as Etapas 1 e 2. Os juízes crianças analisaram, em situação de coleta de dados, a familiaridade e a representatividade das palavras-estímulos, apresentado na Etapa 3. Após, realizou-se o estudo piloto- Etapa 4, com as palavras-estímulo selecionadas. Na análise estatística dos juízes especialistas e não especialistas utilizou-se o índice de Concordância do Kappa Fleiss e Gwet. Na análise das respostas dos juízes crianças e no estudo piloto, a análise foi feita em relação ao tipo de resposta da criança, especificamente pontuando a nomeação espontânea do brinquedo/objeto, pontuando de forma qualitativa. RESULTADOS: O resultado da Etapa 1 e 2, e a concordância dos testes estatísticos para os critérios de Familiaridade e Representatividade foi de 45,7% para JE e 76,4% para JNE, e resultado de 100% para a concordância da Representatividade. Foram analisadas 122 palavras, resultantes dos critérios previamente estabelecidos, totalizando 34 palavras (exclusão de uma palavra por parte das pesquisadoras), totalizando 33 palavras-estímulos. Na Etapa 3, das 33 palavras-estímulos aplicadas, nove apresentaram pontuação de nomeação espontânea abaixo do esperado, sendo retestadas para a Etapa 4, Estudo Piloto. O resultado do Estudo Piloto evidenciou que das nove palavras-estímulos retestadas, quatro delas ainda apresentaram pontuação abaixo, sendo excluídas do estudo. Portanto com a aplicação do estudo piloto a lista expandida do PEEPS-BP, resultou em 29 palavras. CONCLUSÃO: O PEEPS-BP - Lista Expandida apresentou evidências de validade de conteúdo satisfatórias para a adaptação transcultural do teste.

Development and validation of an experimental verbal Episodic Memory task in Spanish. / Desarrollo y validación de una tarea experimental de Memoria Episódica verbal en español.

PURPOSE: To develop and validate an experimental verbal episodic memory task in Spanish. METHODS: Six encoding blocks were elaborated, three deep and three superficial, each one with different demands of cognitive effort. The blocks were reviewed by four expert judges and tested in a pilot application. The agreement was assessed on whether the task allowed combined processing level and cognitive effort to be manipulated during incidental encoding of words, as well as clarity of instructions, examples, and workflow. RESULTS: Variables such as lexical availability, metrics, and strength of association were useful to differentiate the cognitive effort between each block. The judges agreed that the processing blocks allowed a combined manipulation of the level of processing and cognitive effort and that the instructions are precise. After the pilot, the participants agreed that the instructions, examples, and way of working were easy to understand and perform. CONCLUSION: The results provide evidence of validity related to the content for the proposed experimental task, thus becoming a viable alternative to consider in research aimed at identifying environmental factors that contribute to compensating the defects shown by episodic memory with age.

PROPÓSITO: Elaborar y validar una tarea experimental de memoria episódica verbal en español. MÉTODO: Se elaboraron seis bloques de codificación: tres profundos y tres superficiales, cado uno con distintas demandas de esfuerzo cognitivo. Los bloques fueron revisados por cuatro jueces expertos y examinados en una aplicación piloto. Se evaluó la concordancia respecto a si la tarea permitía manipular combinadamente el nivel de procesamiento y el esfuerzo cognitivo durante la codificación incidental de palabras, así como la claridad de las instrucciones, ejemplos y dinámica de trabajo. RESULTADOS: Variables como la disponibilidad léxica, metría y fuerza de asociación fueron útiles para diferenciar el esfuerzo cognitivo entre cada bloque. Los jueces concordaron que los bloques de procesamiento admiten una manipulación combinada del nivel de procesamiento y esfuerzo cognitivo y que las instrucciones son precisas. Luego del pilotaje, los participantes concordaron que las instrucciones, ejemplos y forma de trabajo eran fácil de comprender y realizar. CONCLUSIÓN: Los resultados proporcionan evidencia de validez relacionada con el contenido para la tarea experimental propuesta, transformándose con ello en una alternativa viable de considerar en investigaciones orientadas a identificar factores ambientales que contribuyan a compensar los defectos que muestra la memoria episódica con la edad.

The PraxiFala Battery: A diagnostic accuracy study.

PURPOSE: To present the sensitivity and specificity and establish cutoff points (receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve) for the PraxiFala Battery. METHOD: The sample included 308 Brazilian-speaking children aged 3;0-7;11. Twenty-one children had motor speech disorders (MSD), 58 children had phonological disorder (PD), and 229 had typical speech (TS) development. Participants were administered the PraxiFala Battery, which contains verbal (word and sentence production), nonverbal (orofacial praxis), and diadochokinetic tasks. The sensitivity and specificity of items in each task were then calculated using ROC curves. RESULT: Total scores on the verbal (word production), nonverbal (orofacial praxis), and diadochokinetic tasks had good sensitivity and specificity. The only scores with poor sensitivity and specificity in differentiating between TS, PD, and MSD were consistency and prosody in the verbal tasks (sentence production), and item /ta/ in the diadochokinetic task. Area under the ROC curve (AUC) values were greater than 0.7 for most items in the comparison between TS vs. MSD and PD vs. MSD. AUC values were poor or fair among children with TS and PD, suggesting that this instrument may not be accurate in identifying these groups. CONCLUSION: The verbal, nonverbal, and diadochokinetic tasks in the PraxiFala Battery had good sensitivity and specificity.

Proposal for classifying the severity of speech disorder using a fuzzy model in accordance with the implicational model of feature complexity.

The objective of this study is to create a new proposal for classifying the severity of speech disorders using a fuzzy model in accordance with a linguistic model that represents the speech acquisition of Brazilian Portuguese. The fuzzy linguistic model was run in the MATLAB software fuzzy toolbox from a set of fuzzy rules, and it encompassed three input variables: path routing, level of complexity and phoneme acquisition. The output was the Speech Disorder Severity Index, and it used the following fuzzy subsets: severe, moderate severe, mild moderate and mild. The proposal was used for 204 children with speech disorders who were monolingual speakers of Brazilian Portuguese. The fuzzy linguistic model provided the Speech Disorder Severity Index for all of the evaluated phonological systems in a fast and practical manner. It was then possible to classify the systems according to the severity of the speech disorder as severe, moderate severe, mild moderate and mild; the speech disorders could also be differentiated according to the severity index.

Segmental acquisition of Brazilian Portuguese: onset simple, complex and coda. / Aquisição segmental do Português Brasileiro: onset simples, complexo e coda.

PURPOSE: To present and analyze the acquisition segmental curve of Brazilian Portuguese in simple and complex onset position and coda position. METHODS: 857 children with typical phonological acquisition participated in it, aged between 3:0 and 8:11, divided into age groups every 6 months. Participants were assessed using INFONO phonological assessment software. After analyzing the results, acquisition curves were drawn up for the segments analyzed in the different structures (simple and complex onset position and coda position). RESULTS: It was noted that, in simple onset position, some segments were acquired before 3:0 (stops, nasal and fricative, /f, v, s, z/. The /ʃ/ and /l/ segments were acquired at 3:0, /ʒ/ and /x/ at 3:6, /ʎ/ at 4:0, /r/ at 4:6; in coda position /N/ and /L/ were acquired before of 3:0, /S/ at 3:6 and /r/ at 4:6; in complex onset position, the structures composed by Fricative + /r/ and Stop + /r/ were acquired at 5:0, Stop + /l/ at 5:6 and Fricative + /l/ at 6:0. CONCLUSION: Analyzing the acquisition curve is essential, as it provides a reference on the age of acquisition of segments in different syllabic structures. The acquisition curve contributes to the early identification of delays in phonological acquisition process enabling a timely referral for speech therapy intervention.

OBJETIVO: Apresentar e analisar a curva de aquisição segmental do Português Brasileiro em onset simples, complexo e coda. MÉTODO: Participaram 857 crianças com aquisição fonológica típica, com idades entre 3:0 e 8:11, divididos em faixas etárias de 6 em 6 meses. Os participantes foram avaliados, por meio do software INFONO de avaliação fonológica. Após a análise dos resultados foram elaboradas curvas de aquisição dos segmentos analisados nas diferentes estruturas (onset simples, complexo e coda). RESULTADOS: Observou-se que, em onset simples, alguns segmentos estavam adquiridos antes dos 3:0 (plosivas, nasais e fricativas /f, v, s, z/). Os segmentos /ʃ/ e /l/ foram adquiridos aos 3:0, /ʒ/ e /x/ aos 3:6, /ʎ/ aos 4:0, /ɾ/ aos 4:6; em coda, /N/ e /L/ foram adquiridos antes dos 3:0, /S/ aos 3:6 e /ɾ/ aos 4:6; em onset complexo, as estruturas compostas por Fricativa+/ɾ/ e Plosiva+/ɾ/ foram adquiridas aos 5:0, Plosiva+/l/ aos 5:6 e Fricativa + /l/ aos 6:0. CONCLUSÃO: Analisar a curva de aquisição é fundamental, pois fornece referência sobre a idade de aquisição dos segmentos nas diferentes estruturas silábicas. A curva de aquisição contribui para a identificação precoce de atrasos no processo de aquisição fonológica possibilitando um encaminhamento oportuno para a intervenção fonoaudiológica.

Performance in the accuracy task in children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech after an integrated intervention of literacy and motor skills.

Difficult in literacy skills are often seen in children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). This occurs because oral language has direct relationship with reading and writing learning. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance in the accuracy task of an integrated phonoarticulatory awareness, motor skills and literacy intervention of three children with CAS. Three boys between 5;3 and 5;8 years of age, with CAS, were offered 2 hours per week of therapy sessions based on literacy and motor skills. The children were assessed before and after therapy and at a maintenance assessment 1 month after the treatment ceased. The children improved on the accuracy task considering their deficits level. Improvement was maintained at the maintenance assessment. Therapy based on literacy considering phonoarticulatory awareness and motor skills can help children with CAS, but the severity of the children's communication problems must be taken into consideration.

Dynamic Evaluation of Motor Speech Skill: Adaptation for Brazilian Portuguese.

PURPOSE: To describe the adaptation of verbal tasks (words) in the Dynamic Evaluation of Motor Speech Skills - DEMSS (Strand et al., 2013; Strand & McCauley, 2019) for subsequent inclusion in an analogous instrument in Brazilian Portuguese (BP). METHODS: The adaptation process consisted of six steps. Step 1: Three professionals carried out the translation and back-translation of the test's instructions and background content. Step 2: Two speech-language pathologists (SLP) with expertise in speech-language selected new stimuli for the instrument to make it appropriate for BP. Step 3: Seven expert judges determined the adequacy of test stimuli. Step 4: Eight non-expert judges, children with typical speech development, indicated whether the stimulus words were part of their vocabulary. Step 5: the instrument was administered in 20 children with typical speech development (pilot sample). The results of steps 3, 4 and 5 were examined using Content Validity Ratio. Step 6: Administration of the BP version of the DEMSS in one case of Childhood Apraxia Speech (CAS). RESULTS: 269 words were selected by the expert SLP (Step 2). These words were submitted to evaluation for expert judges (Step 3) and 96 of them were considered adequate. These items were then submitted to the child judges (Step 4) to evaluate their knowledge and use of the words, and in the pilot sample (Step 5) to evaluate the production accuracy of a larger group of children. A total of 44 words were selected after analysis of the results of Steps 4 and 5. In Step 6 the patient completed the final version of the BP version of the DEMSS to determine the feasibility of its use in young children with CAS. CONCLUSION: The translation, back-translation and evaluations by nativespeaking expert judges during the cross-cultural adaptation process and the application in one children with CAS demonstrate the content validity of the adapted instrument. Then, the BP version of the DEMSS has adequate content validity for the assessment of motor speech skills.

Acoustic and Physiological Voice Assessment And Maximum Phonation Time In Patients With Different Types Of Dysarthria.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the maximum phonation time of /a/, acoustic glottal source parameters, and physiological measures in patients with dysarthria. METHOD: Thirteen patients were classified according to dysarthria type and divided into functional profiles (hypofunctional, hyperfunctional, and mixed). Assessments of maximum phonation time of /a/, glottal source parameters, electroglottography, and nasometry were performed. Results were compared between groups using ANOVA and Tukey posthoc tests. RESULTS: The highest fundamental frequency differed significantly between groups, with the hyperfunctional profile showing higher values than the other participant groups. Reductions in the maximum phonation time of /a/ and alterations in acoustic glottal source parameters and electroglottography measures were observed in all groups, with no significant differences between them. The remaining measures did not differ between groups. CONCLUSION: The maximum phonation times for /a/ were reduced in all participant groups, suggesting air escape during phonation. The presence of alterations in several glottal source parameters in all participant groups is indicative of noise, tremor, and vocal instability. Lastly, the high fundamental frequency in patients with a hyperfunctional profile reinforces the presence of vocal instability. These findings suggest that, although the characteristics observed in the assessments were consistent with expectations of patients with dysarthria, it is difficult to perform a differential diagnosis of this condition based on acoustic and physiological parameters alone.

Phonological Assessment Instrument (INFONO): A pilot study. / Instrumento de Avaliação Fonológica (INFONO): estudo piloto.

PURPOSE: To analyze the recognizability and effectiveness of items in the Phonological Assessment Tool (Instrumento de Avaliação Fonológica - INFONO) at eliciting target words, as well as to evaluate the internal consistency of the instrument and compare performance between genders, school types and typical vs. atypical phonological development. METHOD: Participants were 48 children (n=26 with typical phonological development and n=22 with atypical development) categorized by age (6 age groups ranging from 3 years and 8 years 11 months), type of school (public vs. private) and gender (male vs. female). Data were collected by the spontaneous naming task of the INFONO. Recognition rates, scores, recognition difficulties and internal consistency were examined in 116 items. Performance in a final set of 84 items was also compared between genders, school types and typical/atypical phonological development. RESULTS: Most target words achieved high recognition rates were considered suitable for use in the INFONO. Some images had to be redesigned to facilitate the spontaneous production of target words, while other items were excluded from the instrument altogether. The instrument demonstrated excellent internal consistency. There were no statistically significant differences between genders and school types, though differences were observed between typically and atypically developing children. CONCLUSION: The images in the INFONO were successfully recognized by participants and were effective at eliciting the target words. The final set of items contained the minimum number of target words which would allow for an assessment of all phonemes in Brazilian Portuguese in different word and syllable positions, and these items presented excellent internal consistency.

Tongue movements in the production of /l/ in children with and without speech sound disorders in different ages. / Movimentos de língua na produção do /l/ em crianças com e sem distúrbios dos sons da fala em diferentes faixas etárias.

PURPOSE: this study used the ultrasonography of the tongue movements and the dynamic models of speech production to characterize the articulatory gestures of in the production of /l/ at the Brazilian Portuguese in different age groups, comparing them between typical and atypical children. METHODS: the sample consisted of 30 typical and 30 atypical children between ages of four and eight-years-old, who underwent speech-language and ultrasonographic evaluations. The evaluation was realized by recording words reproduction with the sound /l/ and the following vocalic contexts: /a/, /i/ and /u/, repeating six times for each word. The software for recording and analysis was Articulate Assistant Advanced (AAA). The quantitative analysis considered the 42 points that intercepted the tongue curves in each image to describe the articulatory gestures; the estimation of the mean lines of each curve and the confidence intervals between typical and atypical children groups; and the differences between the mean tongue contours curves according to age group. RESULTS: the results presented a tongue tip elevation and dorsal and root retraction in /l/. Typical children, regardless of age, showed a greater refinement of articulatory tongue gestures than the atypical ones. In older children, there was more delimitation in the mean tongue contours from the tongue tip to the root. CONCLUSION: the ultrasonography of the tongue movements is a substantial implement to characterize the articulatory gestures of /l/, to the differentiation between typical and atypical productions in this sound, and observation of the development of the articulatory gestures.

OBJETIVO: este estudo utilizou a ultrassonografia dos movimentos de língua e modelos dinâmicos de produção de fala para caracterizar os gestos articulatórios na produção do /l/ no Português Brasileiro (PB) em diferentes faixas etárias, comparando-os entre crianças típicas e atípicas. MÉTODO: a amostra foi constituída por 30 crianças típicas e 30 atípicas, com idades entre 4 e 8 anos, submetidas a avaliações fonoaudiológica e ultrassonográfica. A avaliação foi realizada mediante gravação da produção de palavras com o som /l/ nos contextos vocálicos de /a/, /i/ e /u/, com seis repetições de cada palavra. O software utilizado foi o Articulate Assistant Advanced (AAA). Para as análises quantitativas foram considerados: os 42 pontos que interceptaram as curvas de língua em cada imagem para descrição dos gestos articulatórios; o cálculo das linhas médias de cada curva e os intervalos de confiança entre os grupos; e o cálculo das diferenças entre as curvas médias dos contornos de língua de acordo com a faixa etária. RESULTADOS: houve elevação de ponta de língua e retração de dorso e raiz na articulação do /l/. As crianças típicas, independentemente da idade, apresentaram maior refinamento dos gestos articulatórios de língua do que as atípicas. Nas crianças mais velhas, houve maior delimitação nos contornos médios de língua desde a ponta até a raiz. CONCLUSÃO: a ultrassonografia dos movimentos de língua é uma importante ferramenta para a caracterização dos gestos articulatórios do /l/, para diferenciação entre as produções típica e atípica deste som, e observação do desenvolvimento dos gestos articulatórios.

Spelling errors and phonological awareness skills in children with typical and atypical phonological development. / Erros ortográficos e habilidades de consciência fonológica em crianças com desenvolvimento fonológico típico e atípico.

PURPOSE: To verify and correlate the spelling errors present in the written productions to the performance in phonological awareness skills of children in different school years, with typical and atypical phonological development. METHODS: The sample consisted of 50 children divided into two groups: with typical phonological development (TPD) and with atypical phonological development (APD); students from the early years (1st to 5th grades) of schooling and ages between 6:0 and 10:0 years old. The children were submitted to speech-language and audiological evaluations. Data were tabulated and statistical analyzes were performed using the Spearman Correlation Coefficient. RESULTS: In relation to the number of spelling errors in writing, these were similar in the TPD and APD groups, except for the contextual-arbitrary errors that were greater for the APD. Still, it was observed that the number of written spelling errors decreased with the increase in schooling. Concerning the average performance in phonological awareness, the TPD performed better than the APD in syllabic and phonemic awareness. The children of 4th and 5th grades presented better performance in phonological awareness than those in grades 1st to 3rd. CONCLUSION: The correlation was inversely proportional between the phonological awareness performance and the number of spelling errors (those that alter the syllabic structure) for both groups, demonstrating that the more errors of this type, the lower the performance in syllabic, phonemic and total phonological awareness.

OBJETIVO: Verificar e correlacionar os erros ortográficos presentes nas produções escritas ao desempenho em habilidades de consciência fonológica de crianças em diferentes anos escolares, com desenvolvimento fonológico típico e atípico. MÉTODO: A amostra foi composta por 50 crianças divididas em dois grupos: com desenvolvimento fonológico típico (GDFT) e com desenvolvimento fonológico atípico (GDFA); estudantes dos anos iniciais (1ª a 5ª séries) de escolarização e idades entre 6:0 e 10:0 anos. As crianças foram submetidas às avaliações fonoaudiológicas e audiológica. Os dados foram tabulados e as análises estatísticas foram realizadas por meio do Coeficiente de Correlação de Spearman. RESULTADOS: Em relação ao número de erros ortográficos na escrita, estes foram semelhantes no GDFT e no GDFA, com exceção para os erros contextuais-arbitrários que foram em maior número para o GDFA. Ainda se observou que o número de erros ortográficos de escrita diminuiu com o aumento da escolarização. No que se refere ao desempenho médio em consciência fonológica, o GDFT teve um desempenho melhor que o GDFA em consciência silábica e fonêmica. As crianças de 4ª e 5ª séries apresentaram melhor desempenho em consciência fonológica que as de 1ª a 3ª séries. CONCLUSÃO: A correlação foi inversamente proporcional entre o desempenho em consciência fonológica e o número de erros ortográficos (aqueles que alteram a estrutura silábica) para ambos os grupos, demonstrando que quanto mais erros deste tipo, menor o desempenho em consciência fonológica silábica, fonêmica e total.

Analysis of the components of Frequency-Following Response in phonological disorders.

INTRODUCTION: When identifying the auditory performance of children with phonological disorders, researchers assume that this population has normal peripheral hearing. However, responses at more central levels might be atypical. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of phonological disorders on Frequency-Following Responses (FFRs) in the time domain. METHODS: Participants were 60 subjects, aged 5 to 8:11 years, divided into two groups: a control group, composed of 30 subjects with normal language skills; and a study group composed of 30 subjects diagnosed with Phonological Disorder (PD). All subjects were tested for Frequency-Following Responses. RESULTS: In the group of children with PD there was an increase in the latency of all FFR components, with a significant statistical difference for components V (p = 0.015); A (<0.001); C (0.022); F (<0.001); and O (0.001). There was also a reduction in the Slope measure in the group with PD (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: The FFR responses are altered in children with PD. This suggests that children with PD present a disorganization in the neural coding of complex sounds. This could compromise specially the development of linguistic/phonological abilities, which can reflect in daily communication.

Validade de conteúdo do Profiles of Early Expressive Phonological Skills-Brazilian Portuguese (PEEPS-BP) - Lista Expandida / Content validity of the Profiles of Early Expressive Phonological Skills-Brazilian Portuguese (PEEPS-BP) - Expanded List

RESUMO Objetivo Realizar a adaptação transcultural do Instrumento Profiles of Early Expressive Phonological Skills- Brazilian Portuguese (PEEPS-BP) - Lista expandida, realizando a validação de conteúdo. Método Estudo de adaptação transcultural, quantitativo e transversal, considerando critérios psicométricos. Realizou-se o estudo da lista de 423 palavras do Inventário de Desenvolvimento Comunicativo- MacArthur- Palavras e Sentenças, adaptado para o Português Brasileiro. O método foi dividido em quatro Etapas. A lista foi julgada por juízes especialistas (JE) e juízes não especialistas (JNE), considerando como critério a familiaridade da palavra para uma criança entre 24 e 36 meses, e a representatividade da palavra com brinquedo/objeto, contemplando as Etapas 1 e 2. Os juízes crianças analisaram, em situação de coleta de dados, a familiaridade e a representatividade das palavras-estímulos, apresentado na Etapa 3. Após, realizou-se o estudo piloto- Etapa 4, com as palavras-estímulo selecionadas. Na análise estatística dos juízes especialistas e não especialistas utilizou-se o índice de Concordância do Kappa Fleiss e Gwet. Na análise das respostas dos juízes crianças e no estudo piloto, a análise foi feita em relação ao tipo de resposta da criança, especificamente pontuando a nomeação espontânea do brinquedo/objeto, pontuando de forma qualitativa. Resultados O resultado da Etapa 1 e 2, e a concordância dos testes estatísticos para os critérios de Familiaridade e Representatividade foi de 45,7% para JE e 76,4% para JNE, e resultado de 100% para a concordância da Representatividade. Foram analisadas 122 palavras, resultantes dos critérios previamente estabelecidos, totalizando 34 palavras (exclusão de uma palavra por parte das pesquisadoras), totalizando 33 palavras-estímulos. Na Etapa 3, das 33 palavras-estímulos aplicadas, nove apresentaram pontuação de nomeação espontânea abaixo do esperado, sendo retestadas para a Etapa 4, Estudo Piloto. O resultado do Estudo Piloto evidenciou que das nove palavras-estímulos retestadas, quatro delas ainda apresentaram pontuação abaixo, sendo excluídas do estudo. Portanto com a aplicação do estudo piloto a lista expandida do PEEPS-BP, resultou em 29 palavras. Conclusão O PEEPS-BP - Lista Expandida apresentou evidências de validade de conteúdo satisfatórias para a adaptação transcultural do teste.

ABSTRACT Purpose To carry out the cross-cultural adaptation of the Instrument Profiles of Early Expressive Phonological Skills- Brazilian Portuguese (PEEPS-BP) - Expanded list, performing content validation. Methods Cross-cultural, quantitative and cross- sectional adaptation study, considering psychometric criteria. A study was carried out on the list of 423 words from the Communicative Development Inventory - MacArthur - Words and Sentences, adapted to Brazilian Portuguese. The method was divided into four steps. The list was judged by expert judges (JE) and non-specialist judges (JNE), considering as a criterion the familiarity of the word for a child aged between 24 and 36 months, and the representativeness of the word with toy/object, contemplating Steps 1 and 2. The child judges analyzed, in a data collection situation, the familiarity and representativeness of the stimulus-words, presented in Step 3. Afterwards, the pilot study - Step 4, was carried out with the selected stimulus-words. In the statistical analysis by expert and non-specialist judges, the Fleiss' Kappa and Gwet Concordance index was used. In the analysis of the responses of the child judges and in the Pilot Study, the analysis was made in relation to the type of response of the child, specifically scoring the spontaneous naming of the toy/object, scoring qualitatively. Results The result of Steps 1 and 2, and the agreement of the statistical tests for the Familiarity and Representativeness criteria was 45.7% for JE and 76.4% for JNE, and a result of 100% for the agreement of Representativeness. A total of 122 words were analyzed, resulting from previously established criteria, totaling 34 words (exclusion of one word by the researchers), totaling 33 stimulus-words. In Stage 3, of the 33 stimulus-words applied, nine presented spontaneous naming scores below expectations, being retested for Step 4, the Pilot Study. The result of the Pilot Study showed that of the nine retested stimulus-words, four of them still had a score below, being excluded from the study. Therefore, with the application of the Pilot Study, the expanded list of PEEPS-BP resulted in 29 words. Conclusion The PEEPS-BP - Expanded List showed satisfactory evidence of content validity for the cross-cultural adaptation of the test.

Pseudowords to phonological therapy validated by expert judges. / Pseudopalavras para terapia fonológica validadas por juizes especialistas.

PURPOSE: Create a pseudowords list based on favorable environments and submit this to the judgment of expert judges, to obtain a validated list of pseudowords that can be used in therapy. METHODS: A study that analyzed the favorable environments of all phonemes of Brazilian Portuguese was sought and, from their data, a pseudoword list for each phoneme, at different levels of favoring, was created. The judging sample of the list was composed of ten judges who reviewed thepseudowords. This analysis was performed in two distinct stages. In the first stage, five judges analyzed the bestpseudowords. In the second stage, the other five judges judged whether pseudowords were essential for therapy. The concordance analysis among the judges was performed through the Content Validity Ratio. RESULTS: The judges of the first stage reviewed and considerably reduced the number ofpseudowords, from 4000 in total to 1547. And, with the statistical analysis used on the data obtained with the judges of the second stage, the pseudoword list with content validity was reduced to few options. The judges pointed to the simplicity in the structure of pseudowords as a selection criterion. CONCLUSION: The expert judges' judgment resulted in a small number of pseudowords that have content validity and can be used in phonological therapy.

OBJETIVO: Criar uma lista de pseudopalavras baseada em ambientes favorecedores e submeter esta ao julgamento de juízes especialistas, a fim de se obter uma lista validada de pseudopalavras que possam ser utilizadas em terapia. MÉTODO: Buscou-se um estudo que analisou os ambientes favorecedores de todos os fonemas do Português Brasileiro e, a partir de seus dados, criou-se uma lista de pseudopalavras para cada fonema, em diferentes níveis de favorecimento. A amostra julgadora da lista foi composta por dez juízes que analisaram as pseudopalavras. Esta análise foi realizada em duas etapas distintas. Na primeira etapa, cinco juízes analisaram quais as melhores pseudopalavras. Na segunda etapa, os outros cinco juízes julgaram se as pseudopalavras eram essenciais para a terapia. A análise de concordância entre os juízes foi realizada por meio da Razão de Validade de Conteúdo. RESULTADOS: Os juízes da primeira etapa analisaram e reduziram consideravelmente o número de pseudopalavras, que passou de 4000 no total para 1547. E, com a análise estatística utilizada sobre os dados obtidos com os juízes da segunda etapa, a lista de pseudopalavras com validade de conteúdo foi reduzida a poucas opções. Os juízes apontaram a simplicidade na estrutura das pseudopalavras como um critério de seleção. CONCLUSÃO: O julgamento dos juízes especialistas resultou em um pequeno número de pseudopalavras que apresentam validade de conteúdo e podem ser utilizadas na terapia fonológica.werty.

Pseudowords to the Phonological Therapy: a new therapeutic approach. / Pseudopalavras para Terapia Fonológica: uma nova abordagem terapêutica.

The pseudowords are a resource rarely used in clinical practice, but may be an excellent option for phonological therapy. This study aimed to verify the therapeutic progress of children with phonological disorder, treated from a new therapeutic approach, considering the favorable linguistic environment in pseudowords and words. The sample consisted of three children, aged between 4 and 8 years old, who submitted to a new therapeutic approach to phonological basis. The children were treated with different targets involving pseudowords and real words in favorable and neutral linguistic environments. In the results, it can be observed that the therapy involving favorable linguistic environment the best results when compared to realize in neutral environment. Regarding the target words, subject treated simultaneously with pseudowords and real words presented satisfactory results, indicating that the targets were appropriate to therapy. The new therapeutic approach involving pseudowords and real words in favorable environments proved to be effective for the treatment of phonological disorders.

As pseudopalavras são um recurso pouco utilizado na prática clínica, mas podem representar uma excelente opção para a terapia fonológica. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar o progresso terapêutico de crianças com desvio fonológico tratadas a partir de uma nova abordagem terapêutica, considerando o ambiente linguístico favorecedor em pseudopalavras e palavras com significado. A amostra foi composta por 3 crianças, com idades entre 4 e 8 anos, submetidas a uma nova abordagem terapêutica com base fonológica. As crianças foram tratadas com diferentes alvos envolvendo pseudopalavras e palavras reais, em ambiente linguístico favorecedor e neutro. Nos resultados, pode-se observar que a terapia envolvendo ambiente linguístico favorecedor apresentou melhores resultados quando comparada com a realizada em ambiente neutro. Em relação às palavras-alvo, os sujeitos tratados simultaneamente com pseudopalavras e palavras reais apresentaram resultados satisfatórios, indicando que os alvos foram adequados à terapia. A nova abordagem terapêutica envolvendo pseudopalavras e palavras reais em ambientes favorecedores mostrou-se eficaz para o tratamento dos desvios fonológicos.

Semantic analysis of words for the Virtual Tool for Speech Assessment / Análise semântica de palavras do Instrumento Virtual de Avaliação da Fala

ABSTRACT Purpose: to carry out the semantic analysis of a list of words that will compose a virtual tool for speech assessment for children and adolescents. Methods: twenty-three participants, aged between 2 years old and 17 years and 11 months old, from the central region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, assigned the concept of 91 words. Data analysis was performed quantitatively, considering the concept of each word as correct or incorrect. Content Validity Ratio (RVC) and Gwet's first-order agreement coefficient (AC1) statistical calculation were calculated. Results: from the word list analyzed, 42 stimuli presented CVR = 1; 30 words obtained CVR = 0.9; 11 with CVR = 0.8; six with CVR = 0.7; two had CVR = 0.4. Gwet's AC1 statistical calculation resulted in AC1 = 0.92 [CI = 0.90 - 0.94] for semantic analysis. Conclusion: the list consisted of 91 semantically validated words that can be used to assess the speech production of children and adolescents.

RESUMO Objetivo: realizar a análise semântica da lista de palavras que comporá um Instrumento Virtual de Avaliação da Fala para crianças e adolescentes. Métodos: vinte e três participantes, com idades entre 2 e 17 anos e 11 meses, atribuíram o conceito de 91 palavras. A análise dos dados foi realizada de forma quantitativa, considerando a conceituação de cada palavra como correta ou incorreta. Foi realizado cálculo da Razão de Validade de Conteúdo (RVC) e o cálculo estatístico first-order agreement coefficient (AC1) de Gwet. Resultados: da lista de palavras analisada, 42 estímulos apresentaram RVC=1; 30 palavras obtiveram RVC=0,9; 11 com RVC=0,8; seis com RVC=0,7; duas apresentaram RVC=0,4. O cálculo estatístico AC1 de Gwet resultou em AC1=0,92 [IC=0,90 - 0,94] para a análise semântica. Conclusão: a lista ficou constituída de 91 palavras validadas semanticamente e que podem servir para avaliação da produção de fala de crianças e adolescentes.

Evidence of validity and reliability of a phonological assessment tool. / Evidências de validade e fidedignidade de um instrumento de avaliação fonológica.

PURPOSE: To present evidence of the validity and reliability of a phonological assessment tool developed to assess the phonological inventory of Brazilian Portuguese. METHODS: The study included 866 children aged between 3 and 8:11 years, divided into three groups: typical, control and clinical. Participants were evaluated using a phonological assessment software, which prompted the spontaneous naming of a series of images. The children's responses were audio recorded and transcribed at the time of the assessment, by the software itself. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to evaluate the internal consistency of the instrument for reliability and validity purposes. Criterion validity was examined by comparing the performance of different groups using Student's t-test for independent samples. Intra- and inter-rater agreement were investigated using Kendall's tau. Results were considered significant at p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: The present study provided evidence of validity and reliability (internal consistency) for this phonological assessment tool, confirming the reliability of its items and demonstrating excellent agreement rates between examiners regarding its scoring (intra- and inter-rater reliability). The criterion validity assessment demonstrated that the control group outperformed the clinical group across all phonemes, showing that test scores were successful in identifying children with speech sound disorders (phonological disorders). CONCLUSION: The present findings provide strong evidence of the validity and reliability of this phonological assessment tool.

OBJETIVO: Apresentar evidências de validade e fidedignidade de um instrumento de avaliação fonológica (INFONO) desenvolvido para avaliar os fonemas do Português Brasileiro. MÉTODO: Participaram do estudo 866 crianças com idades entre 3 e 8:11 anos, divididas em grupos: típico, controle e clínico. Os participantes foram avaliados pelo INFONO por nomeação espontânea. A produção da criança foi gravada e transcrita no momento da avaliação, no próprio software. Para análise de validade e fidedignidade, foram analisadas a consistência interna a partir da técnica Alpha de Cronbach. Para a validade de critério, comparou-se o desempenho entre os grupos através do teste t de Student para amostras independentes. A fidedignidade foi analisada pela concordância intra e interavaliadores por meio do Teste de Kendall. Considerou-se significância quando p ≤0,05. RESULTADOS: O INFONO apresentou evidências de validade e fidedignidade (consistência interna), indicando uma confiabilidade satisfatória dos itens, bem como excelente concordância entre os avaliadores em relação aos escores do teste (confiabilidade intra e interavaliador). Em relação à validade de critério, o desempenho do grupo clínico para todos os fonemas foi inferior ao grupo controle, mostrando que os escores são sensíveis para identificar crianças com desvio fonológico. CONCLUSÃO: O INFONO apresentou fortes evidências de validade e fidedignidade.