Fine motor function and oral-motor imitation skills in preschool-age children with speech-sound disorders

Preschool-aged children with speech-sound disorders may be at risk for associated deficits in fine motor function. The objectives of this study were 2-fold: (1) to determine whether abnormalities in fine motor function could be detected in 2- to 5-year-old children with speech-sound disorders and (2) to determine whether there was a correlation between abnormal oral-motor imitation skills and abnormal fine motor function. Thirty-two children with speech-sound disorders (6 female, 26 male) were prospectively evaluated from July 2003 to July 2005, and the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales and the Kaufman Speech Praxis Test for Children were administered. The presence of abnormal oral-motor imitation skills as measured by the Kaufman Speech Praxis Test was associated with below-average fine motor performance. This finding has important implications for evaluation and treatment of preschool children with severe speech-sound disorders.