Phonological Process Analysis in Telugu Speaking Children with Dyslexia

Abstract

Introduction: An underlying phonological deficit has been indicated as the best candidate for the cause of dyslexia or word decoding difficulties (Snowling, 2006). There is some evidence for concomitance of speech sound disorders in children with dyslexia indicating the need to study speech production abilities in children with dyslexia.

Aim: The aim of the study was to study the type and frequency of phonological processes occurring in the speech of Telugu speaking children with dyslexia and age matched typically developing children in the age range of 5-6.5 years.

Method: Thirty Telugu speaking children (15 children with dyslexia and 15 typically developing children) participated in the present study. Speech samples elicited from children with the help of picture cards of Telugu Test of Articulation and Phonology (TTAP; Vasanta, 1990) were subjected to phonological process analyses using the method described by Vasanta (1990).

Results: Children with dyslexia continued to demonstrate phonological processes in their speech even beyond six years of age. In comparison to typically developing children, majority of children with dyslexia showed the presence of processes in the categories of syllable structure, substitution and assimilation processes.

Discussion: The observation of presence of phonological processes in the speech of telugu speaking children with dyslexia even at the age of six and a half years are consistent with the findings of persisting phonological inaccuracy and processes among children with reading difficulties (Caravolas & Volin, 2001; Svensson & Jacobson, 2005).

Conclusion: Delayed phonological processes present in children with dyslexia when compared to age matched typically developing children supports the notion of an underlying phonological deficit leading to the deficits in different domains in dyslexia.