Which of the following is NOT a criterion to determine the presence of a phonological disorder?

• A. Persistent use of phonological processes
• B. Classes of words are impacted
• C. Several phonemes in error
• D. Inconsistent phonological disorder

Answer: (D)

A phonological disorder is suggested when a child’s speech shows a systematic pattern of errors that reflects an underlying difficulty with the sound system, not just isolated slips. If a child continues to use phonological processes beyond the age when they should have faded, that persistent reliance signals a phonological disorder. When those errors span a whole class of words—affecting many contexts and word types rather than just a few isolated items—that broad impact points to a phonological system problem. Likewise, having several phonemes in error indicates a broader phonological issue rather than a few incidental mistakes. Inconsistent phonological disorder, on the other hand, describes variable productions for the same word and is not used as a general criterion to diagnose the presence of a phonological disorder; it suggests a different pattern that requires separate consideration.