Speech articulation assessment tools

Aims: to identify and describe the instruments and methods available to evaluate speech articulation, and investigate the evidence of validity and reliability for each of these tests in their target populations. Method: The study was conducted according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Two researchers conducted a search of the PubMed and Scopus databases using keywords related to assessment, articulation, assessment methods and speech. Search results were limited to studies involving children and adolescents, published in English, Portuguese or Spanish. Results: 78% of studies involved children aged 6 years to 9 years 9 months. 28% of articles used instruments to evaluate language and communication as a whole, and detect language disorders using tasks which evaluated specific skills including phonological processing, working memory, automatization of speech production and phonological awareness. Other authors used custom assessment protocols to evaluate the repetition or enunciation of words, sentences and syllables. Only six studies provided validity and normative data for assessment instruments. Conclusion: The majority of studies used commercial or research instruments to evaluate speech articulation. All studies also evaluated speech perception. Psychometric studies were available for most of the instruments used to evaluate speech articulation in the studies reviewed.