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How Speech Sounds Develop in Children Born Preterm Between Ages 3 and 4
What is it about?
Children born preterm are at increased risk for speech sound difficulties, but their developmental paths can vary. This study followed 80 children born preterm from ages 3 to 4 years to examine how speech sound development changed over time. Four developmental patterns were identified: consistently typical development, persistent speech sound difficulties, improvement over time, and emerging difficulties after initially typical development. Speech sound abilities were closely related to receptive and expressive language skills. These findings highlight the importance of ongoing monitoring and comprehensive speech language support for children born preterm during the preschool years.
Why is it important?
Speech sound development in children born preterm has been relatively understudied, particularly from a longitudinal perspective. By identifying four distinct developmental patterns between ages 3 and 4 years, this study highlights the variability and non linear nature of speech sound development in this population. The findings show that early speech sound difficulties may persist or emerge later, and that early clinical characteristics alone are not sufficient to guide follow up decisions. This work provides clinically relevant evidence to support ongoing monitoring and comprehensive speech language support for children born preterm during the preschool years.