Acoustic Voice Analysis in Children with Speech Sound Disorder and Intellectual Disability

Purpose: This study was conducted to analyze the acoustic differences associated with the presence of speech sound disorder (SSD) and/or cognitive ability. Methods: Medical records from 2016 to 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The study included children aged 4 to 8 years who had undergone developmental assessments. Based on the assessment results, participants were divided into three groups: children with SSD without intellectual disability (ID), children with SSD and ID, and typically developing (TD) children. Voices were analyzed using the Multidimensional Voice Program (MDVP). Results: The average ages of children with SSD, those with SSD and ID, and those categorized as TD were 61.0±11.4, 62.3±10.7, and 64.2±9.4 months, respectively ( P =0.482). The proportion of children with SSD and ID who also had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was significantly higher (53.3%) than in the other groups ( P =0.010). In the MDVP analysis, among values related to fundamental frequency, the number of segments computed was significantly lower in children with SSD and ID compared to the other groups (SSD, 25.0; SSD with ID, 17.0; TD, 19.0; P =0.001). Similarly, the total number of pitch periods detected was significantly lower among those with both SSD and ID (SSD, 230.0; SSD with ID, 152.5; TD, 187.0; P =0.001). No other parameters significantly differed across groups. Conclusion: Acoustic analysis can reflect voice changes in children with SSD and ID compared to both those with SSD and TD children. Therefore, voice analysis may serve as a supportive screening tool for patients with SSD.