The Relationship Between the Phonological Loop and Receptive Language and Nonverbal Intelligence in Speech Sound Disorders

Introduction: Speech Sound Disorder (SSD) negatively affects children’s phonological and cognitive processes, posing risks to academic development. Accordingly, identifying risk factors is essential for effective intervention. This study investigated associations among the phonological loop (PL), receptive language, and nonverbal intelligence (NVI) in children aged 4-6 years with SSD, and examined whether these relationships vary by SSD severity and age. Method: This quantitative study employed a cross-sectional screening design. Data were collected from 62 children aged 4-6 years with SSD using the Turkish Articulation and Phonology Test (TAPT), the Turkish Early Language Development Test (TELDT), the Turkish Nonword Repetition Test (TNWR-T), and Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM). Differences in TNWR-T scores by SSD severity and age were analyzed with the Kruskal–Wallis H test. The association between TELDT and TNWR-T scores was examined using Spearman’s rho, and the association between TNWR-T and RCPM was assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Findings: Findings on the linkage between language and phonological skills in children with SSD are mixed in the literature. Consistent with prior work, the present results support an association between nonword repetition performance and nonverbal intelligence. As in other studies, SSD severity was related to short-term verbal memory performance, while age showed no significant effect. Discussion: Findings regarding the relationship between language and phonological skills in children with SSD remain mixed in the literature. The present study adds to this body of work by showing results consistent with prior research linking TNWR-T performance to nonverbal intelligence. Consistent with other studies, SSD severity was found to affect short-term verbal memory performance, whereas age did not exert a significant effect. Conclusions and Recommendations: These results highlight the importance of including nonverbal cognitive skills in the assessment of children with SSD. They also suggest that the phonological loop should be considered by speech–language therapists in evaluating risk for reading difficulties. The finding that differences emerge by SSD severity but not by age underscores the need for early support of phonological skills to help prevent later literacy problems.