Purpose: The aim was to investigate, describe and analyse speech characteristics, intelligibility, orofacial function and coexisting neurodevelopmental symptoms in children with SSD of unknown origin, persisting after six years of age. Method: The study included 61 children with SSD (6-17 years) of unknown origin, referred for a speech and oral motor examination. The severity of SSD was estimated using Percentage Consonants Correct (PCC) and Percentage Vowels Correct (PVC) and assessments of resonance based on Swedish Articulation and Nasality Test (SVANTE). Orofacial function was screened using the Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S). Parents completed the Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS) and a questionnaire including questions about heredity, medical and neurodevelopmental conditions, and speech development. Result: SSD varied according to PCC (8-95%) and PVC (55-100%) measurements. Percentages of co-occurring disorders included: 51% resonance deviations, 90% intelligibility issues, and 87% orofacial difficulties. The most affected orofacial domains were "Chewing and swallowing" (41%), "Masticatory muscles and jaw function" (38%) and "Sensory function" (38%). The majority (64%) had co-existing dysfunctions relating to general motor and neurodevelopmental disorders. Conclusion: Children with persistent SSD are at risk for orofacial dysfunction, general motor difficulties and other neurodevelopmental disorders and therefore should be screened for co-occurring disorders.

The aim was to study the background to and the manifestations of affected intelligibility of speech and reported difficulty with eating and saliva control in rare diseases. In Sweden, a disease or disorder is defined as rare when it affects no more than 100 individuals per million population and leads to a marked degree of disability. In 1996-2008, 1703 individuals with 169 rare diseases (3-67 years) answered a questionnaire about oral health and oro-facial function and 1614 participated in a clinical examination. A control group of 135 healthy children was included. Oromotor impairment was a frequent finding (43%) and was absent among the controls. Half the children in the youngest age group (3-6 years) had moderate/severely affected intelligibility or no speech compared with one-third in the other age groups. The most frequent eating difficulties were related to chewing and were found in approximately 20% of the individuals in the study group. Artificial nutrition was most common in children aged 3-6 years (9·2%), followed by children aged 7-12 years (4·9%), adolescents aged 13-19 years (3·3%) and adults (1·4%). Impaired saliva control was common (31·2%) and strongly and significantly correlated with oromotor dysfunction, intellectual disability, open mouth at rest and epilepsy. In conclusion, oromotor impairment and oro-facial dysfunctions, such as affected intelligibility, eating difficulties and impaired saliva control, are frequent in individuals with rare diseases. There is a strong correlation between oromotor impairment and affected intelligibility, eating difficulties and impaired saliva control in individuals with rare diseases.

Sjögreen (2021): Range of motion (ROM) in the lips and jaw during vowels assessed with 3D motion analysis in Swedish children with typical speech development and children with speech sound disorders, Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology,

Objectives The objectives of this study were to investigate the occurrence, types and severity of malocclusions in children with speech sound disorder (SSD) persisting after 6 years of age, and to compare these findings to a control group of children with typical speech development (TSD). Methods In total, 105 children were included: 61 with SSD and motor speech involvement (mean age 8:5 ± 2:8 years; range 6:0–16:7 years, 14 girls and 47 boys) and 44 children with TSD (mean age 8:8 ± 1:6; range 6:0–12:2 years, 19 girls and 25 boys). Extra-oral and intra-oral examinations were performed by an orthodontist. The severity of malocclusion was scored using the IOTN-DHC Index. Results There were differences between the SSD and TSD groups with regard to the prevalence, type, and severity of malocclusions; 61% of the children in the SSD group had a malocclusion, as compared to 29% in the TSD group. In addition, the malocclusions in the SSD group were rated as more severe. Functional posterior crossbite and habitual lateral and/or anterior shift appeared more frequently in the SSD group. Class III malocclusion, anterior open bite and scissors bite were found only in the SSD group. Conclusion Children with SSD and motor speech involvement are more likely to have a higher prevalence of and more severe malocclusions than children with TSD.