Development of method for diagnostics of speech disorders in children with autism
Abstract
Introduction. The disorders of speech development in children with autism vary in accordance with its’ character and dynamics of manifestations. The results of current research show, that impaired speech in children with autism negatively affects all the aspects of the child’s personality: hindered development of cognitive activity, disturbances in all forms of interaction and interpersonal communication, which leads to aggravation of social functioning. It was estimated that specific developmental impairment of speech and language was misdiagnosed in 82% of children at pre-school age with autism. The complexity of the issue is associated with high similarity of speech disturbances and equal clinical manifestations for both nosological diagnoses. At the same time, the specificity of speech disorders in children with autism imposes serious limitations on traditional educative approaches for speech disorders’ diagnostics because these methods do not take into consideration peculiarities of speech disturbances’ components, which may persist in this category.
The aim to examine peculiarities of speech development in children with autism, to elaborate the diagnostic approach for evaluation of speech disorders in children with autism at the age from 4 till 7 years.
Materials and methods. The study included 157 patients with autism at the age from 3 till 7 years with concomitant speech disorders among other clinical manifestations with the main disease such as iautism (F 84.0) – 66 patients, specific speech disorders (F 80) – 91 patient. The diagnostics of potential speech disorders included testing in accordance with «The table of differential diagnostics of speech disorders», that was developed in the course of the study. Armamentarium consisted of 19 tasks on the principle of two diagnostic approaches: logopedic – for examining the peculiarities of oral speech and clinical – the presence of speech symptoms according to diagnostic criteria which are typical for the section «F 84 Pervasive Development Disorder» ICD-10. Clinical and psychological diagnostic tools were used: clinical interview; anamnestic survey; follow-up. Statistic analysis included descriptive statistical methods: Pearson’s chi-square test was applied for evaluation the incidence of manifestations in different groups; Cronbach’s alpha analysis for assessment of internal coherence of the method.
Results. The study reveals the peculiarities of speech development in children with autism and specific speech impairments and demonstrates the presence of similar clinical manifestations in both groups in 80% of cases. The new method includes 15 parameters characterized by speech disturbances most commonly manifesting in children with autism and demonstrating statistically significant incidence rate comparing to children with specific developmental disorders of speech and language (Pearson’s chi-square test).
Conclusion. The analysis of speech development patterns in children with autism was established. The method for assessment of speech disorders in children with autism at the age from 4 till 7 years was developed.
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