The relationship between stimulability and phonological acquisition in children with normally developing and disordered phonologies

The relationship between stimulability and phonological acquisition was inv estigated in eight children, four with phonological disorders who were aged 3;10 (years;months) to 5;7 and four with normally developing phonologies w ho were aged 3;6 to 4;1. Children with disordered phonologies received trea tment on one nonstimulable fricative. A multiple baseline, across subjects, single-subject design was used for experimental control of the treatment a spect of this study. Children with normally developing phonologies were exa mined at the beginning of the study and upon termination of treatment for t he children with disorders. These data were obtained to determine the relat ionship of stimulability to normal acquisition. In both cases stimulable so unds underwent the most change and stimulability was related to the learnin g patterns observed. This study supports the hypothesis that nonstimulable sounds are least likely to change without treatment. The results also sugge st that stimulability for production of a sound may signal that it is being acquired naturally.