Orofacial function in children with Speech Sound Disorders persisting after the age of six years

<i>Purpose</i>: The aim was to investigate, describe and analyse speech characteristics, intelligibility, orofacial function and co-existing neurodevelopmental symptoms in children with SSD of unknown origin, persisting after six years of age. <i>Method</i>: The study included 61 children with SSD (6–17 years) of unknown origin, referred for a speech and oral motor examination. The severity of SSD was estimated using Percentage Consonants Correct (PCC) and Percentage Vowels Correct (PVC) and assessments of resonance based on Swedish Articulation and Nasality Test (SVANTE). Orofacial function was screened using the Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S). Parents completed the Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS) and a questionnaire including questions about heredity, medical and neurodevelopmental conditions, and speech development. <i>Result:</i> SSD varied according to PCC (8–95%) and PVC (55–100%) measurements. Percentages of co-occurring disorders included: 51% resonance deviations, 90% intelligibility issues, and 87% orofacial difficulties. The most affected orofacial domains were “Chewing and swallowing” (41%), “Masticatory muscles and jaw function” (38%) and “Sensory function” (38%). The majority (64%) had co-existing dysfunctions relating to general motor and neurodevelopmental disorders. <i>Conclusion:</i> Children with persistent SSD are at risk for orofacial dysfunction, general motor difficulties and other neurodevelopmental disorders and therefore should be screened for co-occurring disorders.

<i>研究目的</i>：本研究旨在探究、描述并分析起源不明且于6岁后仍持续存在的言语语音障碍（Speech Sound Disorder, SSD）儿童的言语特征、可懂度、口面功能及共患神经发育症状。<i>研究方法</i>：本研究纳入61名年龄介于6至17岁、起源不明的SSD儿童，所有受试者均因需接受言语与口腔运动检查而转诊。SSD的严重程度通过正确辅音百分比（Percentage Consonants Correct, PCC）、正确元音百分比（Percentage Vowels Correct, PVC）以及基于瑞典发音与鼻音测试（Swedish Articulation and Nasality Test, SVANTE）的共鸣评估进行估算。口面功能采用北欧口面筛查测试（Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening, NOT-S）进行筛查。家长需填写情境可懂度量表（Intelligibility in Context Scale, ICS），以及一份涵盖遗传史、内科与神经发育状况、言语发育情况的调查问卷。<i>研究结果</i>：通过PCC（8%~95%）与PVC（55%~100%）的测量结果可见，SSD的严重程度存在个体差异。共患障碍的占比分别为：共鸣异常51%、可懂度问题90%以及口面困难87%。受影响最为显著的口面领域为“咀嚼与吞咽”（41%）、“咀嚼肌与下颌功能”（38%）及“感觉功能”（38%）。多数受试者（64%）存在与整体运动及神经发育障碍相关的共患功能异常。<i>研究结论</i>：存在持续性SSD的儿童罹患口面功能异常、整体运动障碍及其他神经发育障碍的风险较高，因此需对其开展共患障碍筛查。