Reevaluating the Classification of Pediatric Speech Sound Disorders: A Ground Truthing Perspective

Aravind Kumar Namasivayam^1*Raymond Kent²Jonathan L Preston³Ben A M Maassen⁴Christina Hagedorn⁵Ignatius S B Nip⁶Anita McAllister⁷Jun Wang⁸Katherine Hustad⁹Lucie Menard¹⁰Nilgoun Bahar¹¹Jennifer Moore¹²Julia Petrosov¹Pascal van Lieshout¹

• ¹Oral Dynamics Laboratory, Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
• ²University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, United States
• ³Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Syracuse University, Syracuse, United States
• ⁴Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
• ⁵Linguistics Program, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, New York, United States
• ⁶School of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States
• ⁷Division of Speech-Language Pathology, CLINTEC, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
• ⁸Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Moody College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, United States
• ⁹Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, United States
• ¹⁰Department of Linguistics, University of Quebec in Montreal, Montreal, Canada
• ¹¹Dyslexia Centre and Language Neurobiology Lab, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, United States
• ¹²Brave Wings Therapy, Fairfield, United States

Pediatric Speech Sound Disorders (SSDs) are conventionally diagnosed using auditory-perceptual assessments, heavily relying on International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions. This approach, while prevalent, is increasingly criticized due to inherent perceptual biases, limited sensitivity to subtle speech motor variations, and insufficient reflection of underlying speech mechanisms. This paper critically re-examines a widely used diagnostic classification system for pediatric SSDs, namely Dodd's Model of Differential Diagnosis (MDD), emphasizing the limitations of perceptual methods and advocating for instrumental techniques to address significant ground truthing issues. Critical analysis in this paper integrates evidence from perceptual research, instrumental phonetics, and speech motor development studies, highlighting discrepancies between traditional classification methods and modern instrumental data. Findings indicate profound limitations in current auditory-perceptual classification methods, particularly regarding their inability to detect subtle motoric impairments such as jaw sliding, covert motor contrasts, and undifferentiated tongue gestures. Evidence from instrumental studies supports a speech-motor rather than purely cognitive-linguistic basis for many pediatric SSDs, revealing significant inadequacies in current clinical practices. To avoid the narrow interpretation of "motor speech" as referring only to childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) or dysarthria, we explicitly broaden its scope to include a wider range of motoric influences on SSDs. Given these critical ground truthing concerns, the paper proposes adopting instrumental-based methodologies that offer greater precision in identifying underlying motor-based impairments, thereby promoting a more accurate and nuanced understanding of pediatric SSDs. Furthermore, the discussion advocates for adopting a dimensional rather than categorical classification framework, emphasizing gradual developmental trajectories and foundational speech motor skills. Aligning with modern precision medicine principles, the proposed approach aims to refine diagnostic accuracy, improve intervention effectiveness, and ultimately enhance clinical outcomes for children with SSDs.