Phonotactic restrictions in disordered child phonology: A case study

This study presents a data sample elicited from an English-speaking boy aged 9;0, with disordered phonological development. Detailed phonetic and phonological analyses using procedures selected from Phonological Assessment of Child Speech (Grunwell, 1985) reveal a well-developed segmental phonetic repertoire in conjunction with extremely restricted phonotactic structures. This unusual disordered pattern in child phonology is discussed in the light of other information about the child's capabilities. It is suggested that the phonotactic restrictions are probably attributable to an identified motor-programming problem which is possibly associated with an underlying neurological dysfunction. Notwithstanding these observations, it is proposed that the regularity of the child's pronunciation patterns indicates that the phonotactic restrictions may also now reflect an organizational limitation on the child's productive phonology.