Which observation would best satisfy a diagnostic statement asserting a physiological (organic) cause for a child's communication problems?

• A. Developmental delay with age-inappropriate speech
• B. Stridency deletion, consonant cluster reduction, stopping, and fronting
• C. Motor-speech disorder with inability to perform voluntary oral movements
• D. Dentition not yet fully developed but within normal limits for age

Answer: (C)

The key idea is identifying signs that point to a physical problem with the speech mechanism. A motor-speech disorder described as an inability to perform voluntary oral movements directly signals a neuromuscular limitation that could underlie speech problems, which is a strong indicator of an organic, physiological cause.

Other observations reflect developmental timing, learned speech patterns, or non-impairment of the oral structures. Developmental delay with age-inappropriate speech can arise from slower overall development rather than a physical impairment of speech muscles. Phonological patterns like stridency deletion, consonant cluster reduction, stopping, and fronting show how sounds are used or learned, not a failure of the speech mechanism itself. Dentition developing within normal limits for age indicates no structural oral obstacle to speech.