Just published

van Doornik, A., Welbie, M., McLeod, S., Gerrits, E., & Terband, H. (2025). Speech and language therapists’ insights into severity of speech sound disorders in children for developing the speech sound disorder severity construct. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 60, e70022. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70022 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1460-6984.70022

Congratulations Anniek!

Special issue on Speech Sound Disorders in International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders

Over the past few years in my role on the Child Speech Committee of IALP I have initiated a discussion about terminology surrounding "speech sound disorders". This has resulted in a special issue on speech sound disorders that will soon be published in International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders. Here are the papers that have already been published in early view:

• Considerations of dialect on the identification of speech sound disorder in Vietnamese‐speaking children - Ben Phạm & Sharynne McLeod - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1460-6984.12992 
• Speech sound disorder or DLD (phonology)? Towards a consensus agreement on terminology - Helen Stringer, Joanne Cleland, Yvonne Wren, Rachel Rees, Pam Williams - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1460-6984.12989
• How differences in anatomy and physiology and other aetiology affect the way we label and describe speech in individuals with cleft lip and palate - Valerie J. Pereira &  Debbie Sell - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1460-6984.12946
  

Considerations of dialect on the identification of speech sound disorder in Vietnamese-speaking children

The following manuscript has been accepted for publication in a special issue regarding terminology for children with speech sound disorder that was initiated by Prof Yvonne Wren as chair of the Child Speech Committee of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics. 

Phạm, B. & McLeod, S. (2023, accepted November). Considerations of dialect on the identification of speech sound disorder in Vietnamese-speaking children. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders. 

Here is the abstract: 

Background. The dialect spoken by children influences diagnostic decision-making regarding identification and severity of speech sound disorder. 

Aims. The primary objective was to review papers that examined the influence of dialect on the identification of speech sound disorder in Vietnamese-speaking children. 

Methods: Five studies of monolingual and multilingual Vietnamese-speaking children living in Vietnam and Australia were reviewed to examine the influence of dialect on assessment and analysis children’s speech. The main Vietnamese dialects (Standard, Northern, Central, Southern) differ in the production of consonants, vowels, and tones. 

Main Contribution. Most speech assessments define correct production using the standard dialect of a language. Insights from recent studies of Vietnamese provide recommendations for also considering dialect in diagnostic decision-making. Firstly, we recommend adding column(s) to the assessment score sheet that includes the dialectal variants spoken by adults in the child’s family or community. Secondly, calculate accuracy of production twice, based on the standard form and dialectal form. Thirdly, report percentage of consonants correct – standard (PCC-S) and percentage of consonants correct – dialect (PCC-D). 

Conclusions. Diagnostic decision-making is influenced by dialectal variation in children’s speech, so speech and language therapists (SLTs) need to compare standard and dialectal productions when undertaking assessments, analysis, and diagnostic decision-making.

James Law's contributions to IJLCD

A virtual issue of all of James Law's publications to IJLCD has just been published. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1111/(ISSN)1460-6984.James-Law-Tribute 

It contains 29 articles:

1. Adams, C., Lockton, E., Freed, J., Gaile, J., Earl, G., McBean, K., Nash, M., Green, J., Vail, A., & Law, J. (2012). The Social Communication Intervention Project: a randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of speech and language therapy for school-age children who have pragmatic and social communication problems with or without autism spectrum disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 47(3), 233-244. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.2011.00146.x 
2. Beecham, J., Law, J., Zeng, B., & Lindsay, G. (2012). Costing children's speech, language and communication interventions. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 47(5), 477-486. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.2012.00157.x 
3. Buckeridge, K., Clarke, C., & Sellers, D. (2020). Adolescents’ experiences of communication following acquired brain injury. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 55(1), 97-109. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12506 
4. Cronin, P., Reeve, R., McCabe, P., Viney, R., & Goodall, S. (2020). Academic achievement and productivity losses associated with speech, language and communication needs. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 55(5), 734-750. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12558 
5. De Barbieri, Z., Fernández, M. A., Newbury, D. F., & Villanueva, P. (2018). Family aggregation of language impairment in an isolated Chilean population from Robinson Crusoe Island. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 53(3), 643-655. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12377 
6. Dockrell, J., Lindsay, G., Roulstone, S., & Law, J. (2014). Supporting children with speech, language and communication needs: an overview of the results of the Better Communication Research Programme. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 49(5), 543-557. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12089 
7. Ellis Weismer, S., Tomblin, J. B., Durkin, M. S., Bolt, D., & Palta, M. (2021). A preliminary epidemiologic study of social (pragmatic) communication disorder in the context of developmental language disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 56(6), 1235-1248. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12664 
8. Gallagher, A. L., & Chiat, S. (2009). Evaluation of speech and language therapy interventions for pre-school children with specific language impairment: a comparison of outcomes following specialist intensive, nursery-based and no intervention. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 44(5), 616-638. https://doi.org/10.1080/13682820802276658 
9. Hopkins, T., Clegg, J., & Stackhouse, J. (2018). Examining the association between language, expository discourse and offending behaviour: an investigation of direction, strength and independence. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 53(1), 113-129. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12330 
10. Kouba Hreich, E., Moitel Messarra, C., Martinez-Perez, T., Richa, S., & Maillart, C. (2020). Supporting language development in Lebanese preschools: SLT and pre-KT practice and perception of roles. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 55(6), 988-1004. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12576 
11. Law, J. (1995). Efficacy of speech and language therapy with children. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 30(S1), 484-484. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.1995.tb01738.x 
12. Law, J. (1997). Evaluating intervention for language impaired children: A review of the literature. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 32(2s), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.1997.tb01621.x 
13. Law, J., Clegg, J., Rush, R., Roulstone, S., & Peters, T. J. (2019). Association of proximal elements of social disadvantage with children's language development at 2 years: an analysis of data from the Children in Focus (CiF) sample from the ALSPAC birth cohort. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 54(3), 362-376. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12442 
14. Law, J., Dornstauder, M., Charlton, J., & Gréaux, M. (2021). Tele-practice for children and young people with communication disabilities: Employing the COM-B model to review the intervention literature and inform guidance for practitioners. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 56(2), 415-434. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12592 
15. Law, J., Huby, G., Irving, A.-M., Pringle, A.-M., Conochie, D., Haworth, C., & Burston, A. (2010). Reconciling the perspective of practitioner and service user: findings from The Aphasia in Scotland study. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 45(5), 551-560. https://doi.org/10.3109/13682820903308509 
16. Law, J., McBean, K., & Rush, R. (2011). Communication skills in a population of primary school-aged children raised in an area of pronounced social disadvantage. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 46(6), 657-664. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.2011.00036.x 
17. Law, J., Reilly, S., & Snow, P. C. (2013). Child speech, language and communication need re-examined in a public health context: a new direction for the speech and language therapy profession. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 48(5), 486-496. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12027 
18. Law, J., & Riches, N. (2015). The Language Myth: Why Language is Not an Instinct Edited by Vyvyan Evans (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014) [Pp. 304.] ISBN 978-1-107-61975-3. £45.00 (hbk). £18.00 (pbk). International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 50(5), 719-719. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12168 
19. Law, J., Zeng, B., Lindsay, G., & Beecham, J. (2012). Cost-effectiveness of interventions for children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN): a review using the Drummond and Jefferson (1996) ‘Referee's Checklist’. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 47(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-6984.2011.00084.x 
20. Levickis, P., McKean, C., Wiles, A., & Law, J. (2020). Expectations and experiences of parents taking part in parent–child interaction programmes to promote child language: a qualitative interview study. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 55(4), 603-617. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12543 
21. Lindsay, G., Dockrell, J., Desforges, M., Law, J., & Peacey, N. (2010). Meeting the needs of children and young people with speech, language and communication difficulties. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 45(4), 448-460. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3109/13682820903165693 
22. Lindsay, G., Soloff, N., Law, J., Band, S., Peacey, N., Gascoigne, M., & Radford, J. (2002). Speech and language therapy services to education in England and Wales. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 37(3), 273-288. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/13682820210137204 
23. Mackie, L., & Law, J. (2010). Pragmatic language and the child with emotional/behavioural difficulties (EBD): a pilot study exploring the interaction between behaviour and communication disability. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 45(4), 397-410. https://doi.org/10.3109/13682820903105137 
24. McKean, C., Law, J., Laing, K., Cockerill, M., Allon-Smith, J., McCartney, E., & Forbes, J. (2017). A qualitative case study in the social capital of co-professional collaborative co-practice for children with speech, language and communication needs. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 52(4), 514-527. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12296 
25. Reilly, S., Tomblin, B., Law, J., McKean, C., Mensah, F. K., Morgan, A., Goldfeld, S., Nicholson, J. M., & Wake, M. (2014). Specific language impairment: a convenient label for whom? International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 49(4), 416-451. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12102 
26. Smith, J., Levickis, P., Neilson, R., Mensah, F., Goldfeld, S., & Bryson, H. (2021). Prevalence of language and pre-literacy difficulties in an Australian cohort of 5-year-old children experiencing adversity. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 56(2), 389-401. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12611 
27. Snow, P. C., Sanger, D. D., Caire, L. M., Eadie, P. A., & Dinslage, T. (2015). Improving communication outcomes for young offenders: a proposed response to intervention framework. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 50(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12117 
28.  Wren, Y., Pagnamenta, E., Peters, T. J., Emond, A., Northstone, K., Miller, L. L., & Roulstone, S. (2021). Educational outcomes associated with persistent speech disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 56(2), 299-312. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12599 
29. Zwitserlood, R., Wijnen, F., van Weerdenburg, M., & Verhoeven, L. (2015). ‘MetaTaal’: enhancing complex syntax in children with specific language impairment—a metalinguistic and multimodal approach. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 50(3), 273-297. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12131  

IJLCD top dowloaded paper

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1460-6984.12416