Rhotic clusters are complex structures segmentally and prosodically and are frequently one of the last structures acquired by Portuguese-speaking children. This paper describes cross-sectional data for word-initial (WI) rhotic tap clusters in typically developing 3-4- and 5-year-olds in Portugal. Additional information is provided on WI /l/ as a singleton and in clusters. A native speaker audio-recorded and transcribed single words in a story-telling task. Results for WI rhotic clusters show an age effect consistent with previous research on European Portuguese. Singleton /l/ was in advance of /l/-clusters as expected, but the tap clusters were in advance of the /l/-clusters, possibly reflecting the velarized characteristics of the lateral. The prosodic variables word stress and word length were relevant for the WI rhotic clusters: shorter words and stressed syllables showed higher accuracy. Finally, mismatches ('errors') mainly reflected negative structural constraints (deletion of C2 and epenthesis) rather than segmental constraints (substitutions).

RESUMOO conhecimento acerca da aquisição dos constituintes fonológicos das crianças com alterações fonológicas é ainda relativamente escasso. Os resultados disponíveis na literatura provêm maioritariamente de estudos com tarefas que recorrem à repetição de pseudopalavras. Neste trabalho, foi usado como instrumento de recolha de dados o CLCP-PE, construído à luz da fonologia não linear, de forma a analisar o impacto das variáveis constituência silábica, acento de palavra, posição na palavra e extensão de palavra na produção de dois dos segmentos mais problemáticos no desenvolvimento fonológico em PE: /l/ e /ɾ/. Resultados de crianças portuguesas com desenvolvimento típico serão comparados com os de crianças com desenvolvimento atípico (PEL e PSF), de forma a discutir o uso de /l/ e /ɾ/ em diferentes constituintes prosódicos como potenciais marcadores clínicos em PE. Os resultados obtidos mostraram um efeito significativo de todas as variáveis testadas nas crianças com desenvolvimento típico, tendo sido evidente a presença do efeito das variáveis constituência silábica, posição na palavra e extensão de palavra nas crianças com desenvolvimento atípico. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Desenvolvimento fonológico atípico, aquisição da fonologia, avaliação fonológica, constituintes prosódicos.

Purpose: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) frequently face pragmatic impairments which may result in learning, socialization, and mental health difficulties, therefore early intervention is crucial. In Portugal, the Pragmatic Intervention Programme (PICP) has been recently developed and validated, but its effects are unknown. This study aims to determine the effects of the PICP on preschool-age children with ASD or DLD with pragmatic impairments. Methods: A non-randomized controlled trial has been conducted. The children (n = 20) were assigned to the intervention (n = 11) or the control group (waiting list) (n = 9). Each child attended 24 PICP-based intervention sessions provided by a Speech and Language Therapist in kindergarten. The primary outcome measure was a Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) rated by parents and kindergarten teachers. Secondary outcomes include parent/teacher-reported communication skills (Escala de Avaliação de Competências Comunicativas) and an assessment of the child’s general language ability (Teste de Linguagem—Avaliação da Linguagem Pré-Escolar). Results: GAS results show that all the children in the intervention group made progress. Statistically significant differences between pre- and post-intervention assessments were found for all secondary outcomes. Conclusions: The main findings suggest that the PICP improves language in preschool-age children with ASD and DLD with pragmatic difficulties. Further research is needed to analyse the effects of the PICP for each neurodevelopmental disorder individually. These results are crucial and will contribute to future research and evidence-based practice.