AGE-RELATED-CHANGES ON A CHILDRENS TEST OF SENSORY-LEVEL SPEECH-PERCEPTION CAPACITY

Normative data, as a function of age, were obtained on a test designed to assess sensory-level speech perception capacity, the Three-interva l Forced-Choice Test of Speech Pattern Contrast Perception, otherwise known as THRIFTSPAC (or THRIFT for short). Performance under the input modalities of hearing alone, speechreading alone, and the two combine d was measured in 44 normally developing children between the ages of 5 years 7 months and 10 years 9 months. Results revealed that within e ach condition there were significant influences of age on performance for children below age 7 years. These changes appeared to be related t o cognitive and, possibly, to phonological development. Implications F or the clinical implementation of THRIFT are discussed.