Phonological disorder

Definition:

A disorder characterized by failure to use speech sounds that are appropriate for the individual's age and dialect.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

This disorder is more common in boys. Approximately 10% of children below eight years old and 5% of those above eight years old have this disorder. By age 17 the incidence of phonological disorder goes down to 0.5 %.

The cause of phonological disorder in children in unknown. It is suggested that this disorder has a genetic component due to the large proportion of children who have relatives with some type of similar disorder. Other factors may be low socioeconomic status and coming from a large family.