Articulation and Phonology Disorders 29One of the ironies of our understanding of linguistic variation is the fact that this com-
plex be hav ior has so often been reduced to simplistic and uninformed explanation, being
attributed to ignorance and simplicity. Nothing could be farther from the truth; instead,
linguistic variation deserves our utmost re spect as a repre sen ta tion of the complex work-
ings of the human mind and human social adaptive mechanism. (p. 114)Accent and dialect also suggest a speaker’s ethnicity, culture, religion, socioeconomic status,
and homeland and can be useful in speaker profiling for forensic purposes (Tanner, 2007, 2010;
Tanner & Tanner, 2004). Speaker profiling is the forensic information obtained from accent and
dialect, indicating homeland and ethnicity. Speaker profiling is not the same as racial profiling.
Although some speakers may want accent and dialect reduction by speech- language pathologists,
accent and dialect variations are not speech pathologies. Thus, accent and dialect reduction are
not covered by insurance companies or provided as standard speech pathology ser vices by public
schools. Persons seeking this therapy do so for personal, professional, and occupational reasons or
because of reduced intelligibility.
Etiology of Articulation Disorders
There are several causal factors in articulation and phonology disorders. In the past, the etiol-
ogy of articulation disorders was not an impor tant factor in diagnosing and treating them because
few therapies existed. Today, however, etiology has become an impor tant factor in selecting
diagnostic protocols and planning treatment. Articulation disorders may be caused by deafness,
hearing loss, structural abnormalities, neuromuscular impairments, delayed language, emotional
duress, and neuromotor maturation inadequacies.
Figure 2-5. Developmental Articulation and Phonology Profile vowels. (Reprinted with permission from
Academic Communication Associates.)