| Abstract | Purpose: To explore whether subgroups of children with residual speech sound disorders
(R-SSDs) can be identified through multiple measures of token-to-token phonetic variability
(changes in one spoken production to the next). Method: Children with R-SSDs were recorded
during a rapid multisyllabic picture naming task and an oral diadochokinetic task. Transcription-based
and acoustic measures of token-to-token variability were derived. Articulation accuracy and
general indices of language skills were measured as well. Results: Low correlations were observed
between transcription-based and acoustic measures of phonetic variability, and among the acoustic
measures themselves. Children who were the most variable on one measure were not necessarily
highly variable on other measures. Transcription-based measures of variability were associated
with language skills. Conclusions: Measures of phonetic variability did not identify children in
the sample as consistently high or low. Data do not support the notion that clear subgroups based
on phonetic variability can be reliably identified in children with R-SSDs. The link between highly
variable phonetic output (quantified by transcription-based measures) and lower language skills
requires further exploration. Key words: acoustic analysis, residual speech sound disorders,
phonetic variability |