Speech-Sound Discrimination and Tactile-Kinesthetic Discrimination in Reference to Speech Production
The relationship between selected sensory discrimination variables and speech-sound production was investigated. Speech-sound discrimination, oral stereognostic discrimination, and articulation were measured in a group of 100 first-grade children. Ss had to have normal hearing; understand the concept of “same and different”; be less than 7 yr., 6 mo. of age; have no obvious neurological or physical impairment; and have a Columbia Mental Maturity Scale score of at least 85. A significant negative correlation between speech-sound discrimination in oral stereognostic discrimination was established. There was a significant difference in articulation scores between high and low speech-sound discrimination groups. The difference in articulation scores between high and low oral stereognostic groups was not significant. The possibility that the result of this and other studies could be explained by an age-linked dominant monitoring modality for articulation was discussed.