Abstract
A simplified test for exploring the cause of delayed development of speech and language in children 3–5 years of age was developed in my clinic. The test consists of four subtests: a test that requires a child to name six pictures including a cat, pigeon, goldfish, watermelon, rice bowl, and clock; a test that requires a child to point the picture corresponding to one of the six words presented with a normal voice; the same test performed with a whispered voice; and a test in understanding of questions related to the six pictures. The results obtained from 53 clinical cases demonstrated that this test can roughly classify patients into one of four groups: abnormal language development caused by psychosocial problems, delayed language development resulting from hearing impairment, central language disorders, and motor speech disturbances associated with clumsiness syndrome or neuromuscular disorders.
