African American English: Dialect Mistaken As an Articulation Disorder

The purpose of this literature review is to discuss the reasons speech-language pathologists often misdiagnose children using AAE as having articulation and phonological disorders. In my literature review, I will discuss three ruling explanations for why this problem occurs. The most common reason for this misdiagnosis is that speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are unfamiliar with AAE acquisition and its phonological features. The second is that SLPs administer norm-referenced standardized tests that are culturally biased, which unfairly contributes to these errors. Finally, SLPs often do not realize that AAE speaking children are, in a way, learning a second dialect ¾ Standard American English ¾ in school. Each of these practices delivers inaccurate information about the child, placing the SLPs and their clients at a disadvantage. I will provide recommendations and suggestions for SLPs. My argument is that changes can, and should, be made