Classification of preschool children as language-delayed or articulation-impaired, as though these deficit areas were independent, has seldom been challenged. Three groups of ten preschool children were selected to represent normally developing, articulation-impaired, and language-delayed subjects. Their productions of /s/, /z/, /t/, and /d/ were assessed in tasks requiring application of articulatory and grammatical rules. Each group had difficulty applying both articulatory and grammatical rules, normal-speaking children performing best and language-delayed children applying the rules least consistently. Each group evidenced similar response patterns which conformed to developmental expectations.
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