Exploring the Prevalence and Structure of Language Disorders in Children with Intellectual Disability in Romania

Viorel Agheana; Florin Emil Verza

doi:10.56663/rop.v14i1.87

Authors

Viorel Agheana University of Bucharest, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Science, Romania https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8348-6557
Florin Emil Verza University of Bucharest, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Science, Romania

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56663/rop.v14i1.87

Keywords:

language disorders, intellectual disability, IQ score, affected phonemes, articulatory errors, pronunciation, phonological profile, speech–language assessment, preschool children, school-age children

Abstract

The study presents a quantitative analysis of language disorders in children with intellectual disabilities, based on data obtained through speech–language assessments administered to a sample of 92 participants (21 preschoolers and 71 school-age children). The results highlight a heterogeneous developmental profile, with a predominance of boys and a wide age range among the school-age group. The speech–language diagnoses indicate a high prevalence of pronunciation/articulation disorders and nonverbalism, followed by severe delays in language development. The analysis of affected phonemes reveals that the sounds /r/ and /ʒ/ are most frequently impaired, followed by /ʃ/ and /z/, confirming the articulatory and phonological difficulties of the evaluated children. The typology of articulatory errors reveals phoneme substitution as the dominant pattern, followed by omission and, to a lesser extent, distortion. These findings support the hypothesis of a complex deficit that includes both phonetic–articulatory components and phonological processes, underscoring the need for differentiated speech–language interventions adapted to the child’s cognitive level.

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