Phonological disorder Health Article

Prognosis

The prognosis for children with phonological disorder is generally good. For many children, the problem resolves spontaneously. It is reported that in 75% of children with mild-or-moderate forms of the disorder, and whose problems do not stem from a medical condition, the symptoms resolve before age six. In many other cases, children who receive treatment eventually develop normal or close to normal speech. In some cases, there may be mild effects that last until adulthood, but speech is completely understandable. For children with phonological disorder due to a neurological or structural cause, the outcome generally rests on how well the cause of the problem is treated.

Prevention

There is no known way to prevent phonological disorder. A healthy diet during pregnancy and regular prenatal care may help to prevent some of the neurological or structural problems that can result in the disorder.

BOOKS

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. text revised. Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2000.

Sadock, Benjamin J. and Virginia A. Sadock, eds. Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry. 7th edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2000.

PERIODICALS

Rvachew, Susan, and Michele Nowak. "The Effect of Target-Selection Strategy on Phonological Learning." Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research 44, no. 3 (June 2001): 610.

Weismer, Susan Ellis, and others. "Nonword Repetition Performance in School-age Children with and without Language Impairment." Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research 43, no. 4 (August 2000).

ORGANIZATIONS

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 3615 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016-3007. (202) 966-7300. <www.aacap.org>.

The American Academy of Pediatrics. 141 Northwest Point Boulevard, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-1098. (847) 434-4000 <www.aap.org>.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 10801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. (800) 638-8355. <http://www.asha.org>.

Tish Davidson, A.M.