Articulation in Prader–Willi syndrome

Abstract

This study investigated articulation in 13 individuals with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS), chronological age from 7; 0 to 29; 5, total IQ from 38 to 83. To elicit a speech sample a picture-naming test was used. Pictures were chosen so that, when named correctly, they yield a sample containing instances of all Dutch single speech sounds and clusters in all permissible syllable positions. All samples were transcribed phonetically by a stringent transcription procedure, and reliability of the transcription was assessed both by an intra-observer and inter-observer reliability check. The transcribed speech samples were subjected to several analyses as to characterize articulation from different perspectives. It was found that articulation in persons with PWS is usually impaired. Results suggest that the overall error rate is a function of IQ, and that with increasing age, phonological problems gradually resolve while phonetic difficulties become more evident. Learning outcomes: The reader will learn about (1) clinical characteristics, etiology, incidence, and prevalence of Prader–Willi syndrome; (2) speech and language difficulties in Prader–Willi syndrome; (3) articulation characteristics in Prader–Willi syndrome.