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

Summary/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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