ABSTRACT
“Variables identified as predictive of persistent speech sound disorder (SSD) suggest that factors across motor, cognitive, and linguistic processes may place a child at risk”. In a study exploring persistent SSD using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, known as the ALSPAC study, the prevalence rate was estimated to be 3.6% of the population. Many of the children the researchers have met over their years working in speech therapy settings have persistent SSDs as their difficulties have persisted into school age. Aided language stimulation is a way of supporting children, who pick up visual information easily. Research has shown that children with persistent speech errors face an increased risk of social challenges such as the ability to make friends and to effectively communicate with them, emotional challenges such as having insufficient means to express their emotions and the emotional impact on development when children cannot express themselves effectively.
