Explaining Developmental Communication Disorders

been a commitment to the notion that the subtypes or dimensions of developmental speech sound disorders are organized on the basis of their etiology, and that the surface features of these disorders will reflect this multiple causal organization. Certain key points of this perspective are particularly prominent. First, etiology is key to the study of developmental communication disorders. This statement may sound trite now. But in the 1970s and to some degree even today, some argued that etiology is not relevant, particularly for clinical intervention in behavioral disorders such as developmental speech sound disorders. Shriberg’s early research was concerned with psychodynamic factors in speech sound disorders and expanded to include auditory (otitus media), motor (developmental apraxia of speech), and familial/genetic genetic factors. Each of these represented a subtype of developmental speech sound disorder. A second feature of his work is his emphasis on development and developmental history in understanding the different forms of speech sound disorders. Presumably, different causal factors shape different developmental trajectories and thus, developmental course must be considered. Finally, Shriberg is known for his concern for careful measurement and description of behavior. Just as etiology is revealed in development, it should be revealed in the fine structure of the behavior of the speaker. Running through these ideas is the notion that we must develop comprehensive accounts of development and behavior that are grounded in causal explanations. Thus, advancement in our study of human communication and disorders should not merely focus on simple surface accounts of communication behaviors. In this chapter we accept many of Shriberg’s key principles as we consider how we might construct a framework for research on developmental communication disorders that is rooted in CHAPTER 2