Journal of Communication Disorders最新文献

{"title":"Storytelling and retelling in students with hearing loss–A comparison between tasks with special consideration of referential elements","authors":"Lara Hardebeck ,&nbsp;Ulla Licandro ,&nbsp;Paula Bartsch ,&nbsp;Esther Ruigendijk","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106613","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106613","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>Narratives are a fundamental aspect of human communication and they play a critical role in academic success for school-aged children. This study aims to examine the oral narrative skills of German-speaking students with hearing loss who attend inclusive schools, with a particular focus on comparing their abilities in a storytelling and retelling task. Additionally, the study investigates the use of referential elements and functions, and explores the relationship between spoken narrative skills, receptive vocabulary, and phonological working memory to identify factors associated with oral narrative performance.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The sample consisted of 25 students with hearing loss (<em>M</em> = 11;0 years), who completed a standardized storytelling and retelling task, alongside assessments of receptive vocabulary and phonological working memory. Data were analyzed for both macro- and microstructure, as well as referential elements and functions. Correlational analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between narrative skills, receptive vocabulary, and phonological working memory.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Students performed better on the retelling task compared the storytelling task in both macro- and microstructural elements. In their narratives, students predominantly used indefinite and definite noun phrases for character introductions, pronouns for maintaining references, and definite noun phrases for reintroductions. Receptive vocabulary correlated with comprehension questions in storytelling, but not with other narrative parameters.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Different narrative tasks place distinct linguistic demands on students with hearing loss. Retelling tasks provide a more structured method for assessing narrative skills, while storytelling tasks offer a deeper insight into more complex narrative construction. In addition, receptive vocabulary appears to be relevant for macrostructural skills in the storytelling task.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49175,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Communication Disorders","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 106613"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145839867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insights into the multi-factorial nature of reading difficulties: exploring phonological, visual, and attentional challenges in children","authors":"Martina Mancarella ,&nbsp;Jan Wouters ,&nbsp;Andrea Facoetti ,&nbsp;Pol Ghesquière","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106606","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106606","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the interaction of auditory, visual, and attentional processing differences in children with and without reading difficulties, challenging the traditional view of developmental dyslexia (DD) as solely a phonological disorder. We examined multiple theoretical frameworks, including attentional processing, temporal processing, and noise exclusion theories, to provide a comprehensive understanding of cognitive challenges associated with DD. Ninety-seven Dutch-speaking children were assessed on tasks measuring reading, phonological and orthographic skills, as well as auditory and visual sensory-perceptual and attentional processing. Participants were categorised as Typical or Poor Readers based on standardised reading performance. Significant group differences emerged only in reading-related tasks (i.e., rapid naming, phoneme deletion, orthographic processing and the perception of text in noise). However, individual-level and dimensional analyses revealed a more complex picture. Individual deviance analysis revealed that while a subsample of poor readers exhibited no sensory-perceptual and attentional impairments, some showed selective difficulties in temporal, attentional, or noise exclusion tasks, underscoring the heterogeneity of their cognitive profiles. Principal component analysis identified four cognitive components: (i) reading-related skills and IQ in which phonological and orthographic processing are involved; (ii) rapid naming and visual temporal processing; (iii) multi-sensory sluggish attentional shifting involving phonological awareness; and (iv) multi-sensory cognitive control. Interestingly, regression analyses showed that visual temporal processing uniquely predicted reading and spelling, beyond phonological and orthographical skills. Mediation analysis further revealed that visual temporal processing influenced reading skill via rapid naming. These insights support a multi-factorial view of DD, emphasising the necessity for individualised interventions targeting varied and interacting cognitive difficulties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49175,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Communication Disorders","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 106606"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145685353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Voice changes during dual task walking in Parkinson’s disease","authors":"Yi-Fang Chiu ,&nbsp;Jason K. Longhurst ,&nbsp;Annalise R. Fletcher ,&nbsp;Travis Loux","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106615","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106615","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>Concurrent talking and walking are integral to everyday life. This study aimed to examine how dual task walking involving spontaneous speech affects phonatory and gait parameters in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD).</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Thirty-six individuals with PD and 11 healthy older adults (HOA) participated in the study. Participants completed dual tasks which consisted of producing monologues along with a simple gait (i.e., straight-line walking) and a complex gait (i.e., walking with turning and obstacle avoidance). Sound pressure level (SPL) and fundamental frequency (F0) were analyzed from the monologues. Gait variables included velocity, stride length, and enhanced gait variability index (eGVI). Multilevel linear models were performed to determine the effects of group and conditions on phonatory and gait measures.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Both groups exhibited similar patterns of increased mean SPL and F0 in dual task conditions compared to single task speaking. The PD group, however, showed greater declines in gait velocity and stride length during dual tasking particularly in the complex gait condition.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Individuals with PD demonstrated comparable dual task intensity increase to HOA, albeit at the expense of gait metrics of slower walking and smaller steps. This suggests a task prioritization pattern of favoring vocal output in PD during concurrent walking tasks. Individual factors of motor symptoms and balance control appear to moderate the positive voice dual task effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49175,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Communication Disorders","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 106615"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145913630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Translation and validation of the persian version of the acceptance and action questionnaire-managing child hearing loss (AAQ-MCHL)","authors":"Sadegh Jafarzadeh ,&nbsp;Jamshid Jamali","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106612","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106612","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Psychological acceptance plays a critical role in how parents cope with their child's hearing loss, influencing their emotional well-being and management strategies. The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-Managing Child Hearing Loss (AAQ-MCHL) is a psychometric scale designed to assess this construct.</div></div><div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the Persian version of the AAQ-MCHL for use among Iranian parents.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>This psychometric validation study comprised two main phases: Translation and Cultural Adaptation, followed by Psychometric Evaluation. The AAQ-MCHL underwent standard forward–backward translation by bilingual experts, followed by synthesis and review by an expert panel to ensure linguistic and cultural relevance. For psychometric evaluation, parents of children with hearing loss in Mashhad, Iran, were recruited. Validity was assessed via face validity (impact scores) with 10 parents, content validity (Content Validity Ratio [CVR], Content Validity Index [CVI]) with 10 experts, and construct validity through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) with 200 parents (response rate: 96.5 %). Reliability was evaluated via internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) and test–retest reliability (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient [ICC]) with 30 parents. Items with low factor loadings (&lt;0.40) were removed during refinement. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS and AMOS.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The final six-item version demonstrated good internal consistency (α=0.767) and excellent test-retest reliability (ICC=0.914). CFA confirmed acceptable model fit after removing items 3 and 6, which had low factor loadings. Impact scores and content validity indices supported the face and content validity of the remaining items.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The Persian version of the AAQ-MCHL is a valid and reliable questionnaire for assessing parental acceptance of childhood hearing loss in Iran. The item deletion underscores the influence of cultural factors on measurement; hence, future studies should focus on refining culturally sensitive items. This tool provides a foundation for supporting psychological interventions aimed at enhancing parental coping mechanisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49175,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Communication Disorders","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 106612"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of exposure to additional languages and cognitive factors on narrative macrostructure in autistic and neurotypical children","authors":"Pauline Wolfer ,&nbsp;Freideriki Tselekidou ,&nbsp;Franziska Baumeister ,&nbsp;Natalia Gagarina ,&nbsp;Stephanie Durrleman","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106611","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106611","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study adopts a twofold approach to examine how bilingual exposure and (socio-)cognitive factors influence narrative macrostructure in children. First, it investigated the impact of <em>Exposure to Additional Languages</em> (EtAL) on the narrative macrostructure of 90 autistic and 168 neurotypical children (ages 5–12), tested in their most proficient language, either English, French, (Swiss-)German, Italian or Spanish. Macrostructure was assessed through story structure, story complexity, and the production of Internal State Terms (IST), using a series of generalized mixed effects models controlling for age, sex, language skills, and non-verbal IQ. Among neurotypical children, greater EtAL predicted better story structure compared to peers with lower EtAL. No such effect was found in autistic children, suggesting that the potential benefits of EtAL may not extend equally across populations. Additionally, EtAL did not predict story complexity or IST-use in either group. Second, the study investigated the impact of Theory of Mind (ToM), working memory (WM), and metalinguistic awareness (MA) on macrostructure. While ToM and WM showed no significant effects, MA positively predicted story structure across groups. Findings indicate that dimensions of narrative macrostructure may benefit from exposure to multiple languages and MA, especially in neurotypical children. Results further support that, despite advice being provided to families of children with autism to abandon bilingualism, bilingual exposure is not detrimental to the communicative development of autistic children. Leveraging a large, neurodiverse sample and a continuous, hypothesis-driven measure of bilingualism, this study provides generalizable insights into how bilingualism and (socio-)cognitive factors influence narrative development across neurodiverse populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49175,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Communication Disorders","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 106611"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145821785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reading comprehension intervention in populations with developmental language disorder: A scoping review","authors":"Joseph Hin Yan Lam ,&nbsp;Jiali Wang ,&nbsp;Amy S. Pratt ,&nbsp;Elizabeth D. Peña","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106608","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106608","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>Approximately 25–50 % of children with developmental language disorder (DLD) demonstrate difficulties in reading comprehension, which are associated with difficulty in language learning. Given the high likelihood that children with DLD will experience difficulties in reading comprehension, it is important to examine the effectiveness of interventions that target these challenges. The purpose of this study is to conduct a scoping review of the literature on reading comprehension interventions in populations with DLD to synthesize the existing literature and highlight knowledge gaps in supporting reading comprehension in this population.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The five-step framework for scoping reviews described by Arksey and O'Malley (2005) was adopted to identify and evaluate literature focused on reading comprehension interventions for populations with DLD. Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria, with five randomized controlled trials, 12 group comparison studies, and seven single case studies or reports.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Identified interventions were aligned with the Active View of Reading (Duke &amp; Cartwright, 2021), targeting active self-regulation, word recognition, bridging processes, and extended discourse. The majority of the included studies reported improvements in reading comprehension. All studies targeting vocabulary knowledge and morphological awareness found significant positive gains. However, several validity concerns emerged in the included studies, such as high variability in the intervention dosage and intensity and a lack of diversity in measurement methods. These issues could hinder the translation of the findings into clinical practice.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The current review reveals several gaps: (1) underrepresentation of multilingual children with DLD and children speaking languages other than English as a first language; (2) insufficient examination of children with DLD’s performance across various genres and question types; and (3) a lack of understanding of optimal intervention dosage for reading comprehension intervention in this population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49175,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Communication Disorders","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 106608"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145769760","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intersectionality and stuttering: A sociolinguistic perspective","authors":"Carolina Beita-Ell,&nbsp;Michael P. Boyle","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106607","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106607","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>This study sought to counter an ableist (often listeners’) perspective of stuttering through obtaining the perspectives and lived-experiences of a historically underrepresented subgroup of individuals who stutter – Latinos/as/xs/es who stutter.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>By means of semi-structured interviews and an online survey, nine Latinos/as/xs/es who stutter provided a sociolinguistic (speakers’) perspective of the experience of stuttering. Participants were queried about their experience of stuttering, whether being Latino/a/x/e intersected with stuttering, and about other stigmatized identities, attributes, and/or life circumstances that imbued their experience of stuttering. A thematic analysis, using a phenomenological approach, was applied to qualitative data. Statistical analyses were performed on quantitative data.</div></div><div><h3>Results: Four major themes emerged</h3><div>(1) Stuttering Does Not Occur in Isolation, (2) At the Crossroads of Stuttering and Bilingualism, (3) Therapeutic Experiences, and (4) Functional and Communicative Barriers. As a social group, i.e. people who stutter, participants identified linguistic and extralinguistic social markers of stuttering. As Latinos/as/xs/es who stutter, a subgroup of people who stutter, some participants reported additional psychosocial implications of the experience of stuttering that were attributed to race/ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, and/or language/s spoken.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Findings provide support for the adoption of community-based psychoeducational programs about stuttering, the use of culturally and/or linguistically appropriate measures during assessment and intervention, the inclusion of culture and/or language specific supports for people who stutter, and therapist-client matching to promote a strong therapeutic alliance and improve outcomes of intervention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49175,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Communication Disorders","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 106607"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145716570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Becoming speech therapists and audiologists in Taiwan: Motivating factors","authors":"Meng-Ju Tsai ,&nbsp;Ren-Hau Li ,&nbsp;Wen-Shin Chang","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106605","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106605","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>This study examined the factors that motivate Taiwanese students to pursue careers as speech-language pathologists (SLP) and audiologists (AUD), and how these factors vary across demographic groups.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>In this study, a repeated cross-sectional survey design was adopted; questionnaires were administered to 756 students enrolled in the Introduction to Communication Disorders course from 2015 to 2022.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Career decisions were shaped by a range of motivating factors, with notable variation by demographic group. Career-motivating factors were the most influential, particularly job security (98.5 %), income (97.4 %), and job availability (97 %). Personal motivating factors, such as the desire to work in a service-oriented profession (92.1 %) and with people (92.4 %), were also significant. Educational motivating factors, like career guidance tests (70.9 %), were the least influential.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Findings underscore the need to promote the profession using strategies that combine practical benefits with personal narratives. Cultural comparisons revealed that Taiwanese students prioritize economic stability, differing from Indian students, who are more influenced by family, and Ghanaian students, for whom educational exposure plays a larger role. The study highlights the importance of sex-sensitive recruitment, family-targeted outreach, and university–high school collaboration to strengthen the future workforce. It also contributes to the global understanding of career decision-making in speech-language pathology and audiology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49175,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Communication Disorders","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 106605"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145656105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Building capacity among community workers to screen for developmental and hearing disabilities with an m-health app (SRESHT screener) using a community-based participatory approach","authors":"Lekha S Nair ,&nbsp;Vidya Ramkumar ,&nbsp;Suja K. Kunnath ,&nbsp;S Aruna","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106609","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106609","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Aim</h3><div>Using a community-based participatory research approach, this study aimed to explore the perspectives of community workers (CWs) on the training required to screen for developmental and hearing difficulties with the newly developed SRESHT screener.</div></div><div><h3>Method and analysis</h3><div>Three focus group discussions were conducted among CWs following a brief demonstration and hands-on session utilizing the SRESHT screener. Guides and probes were developed based on review of literature on training CWs in health and disability as well as based on researcher insights. A deductive thematic analysis was done with QDA Miner Lite software.</div></div><div><h3>Result</h3><div>Three main themes were perceived training need, program structure, and implementation challenges. CWs identified training needs for counseling, technology, and practical experience. CWs identified the preferred training structure that included manuals with photos and videos. They prefeerd a two – day in person training with short sessions, opportunities for feedback and shadowing along with practical sessions conducted in small groups of ten. Challenges identified were charging and internet connectivity in rural areas and acceptability of CWs led screenings, with concerns about stigma and confidentiality. Availability</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study identified specific CWs defined criteria for an effective training program regarding SRESHT screener. The findings clearly state the need for training in counselling and technology as well as a preference for practical, multi component training methods, which is tailored to this specific context. The study also shows that for successful and sustainable implementation, the program must proactively tackle potential issues related to technological infrastructure and community acceptance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49175,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Communication Disorders","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 106609"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145737287","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Listener perceptions of word-final /l/: Effects of listener dialect","authors":"Hyunju Chung ,&nbsp;Sarah K. Schellinger","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106610","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106610","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>This study examines the effect of listener dialect on perception of the /l/ sound. In some varieties of English, word-final /l/ is more vocalized than in others. The current study follows up on our previous study, which investigated Southern White English (SWE)-speaking listeners’ perception of word-final /l/ produced by SWE speakers. The aim of the current study is to examine perception of listeners who are speakers Upper Midwest English (UME), a dialect that shows less word-final /l/ vocalization than SWE.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Listeners included 32 monolingual speakers of UME who judged the /l/-likeness of single words containing word-final /l/ produced by adult and child speakers of SWE using a multiple-choice task and a visual analog scale. Ratings were also compared with those of SWE listeners.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Like the SWE listeners, UME listeners judged SWE adult speakers’ word-final /l/ predominantly as accurate, while those of children were judged as more vowel-like. Vowel context also influenced both UME and SWE listeners’ judgments, with productions of /l/ following low back vowels generally judged as less accurate than those following high front vowels. Despite these similarities, there were subtle differences across the two dialect groups, particularly in terms of the effect of vowel context.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This demonstrates that despite subtle differences in perceptual ratings across dialect groups, speaker age and vowel context more substantially influence perceptual judgments. This suggests that it is important to consider the potential impact of vowel context and to include word-final /l/ in both high front and low back vowel contexts to prevent overidentification of errors in clinical settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49175,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Communication Disorders","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 106610"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790250","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}