The work reported in this special issue of 'Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica', supported by the Child Speech Committee of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP), shows how transcription has changed over the last few decades and brings readers up to date with the state of the art. Transcription is a tool which is integral to the practice of speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Being able to hear what individuals say is useful, but only by documenting this, can it be determined whether change has occurred over time or in response to intervention. It is through close observation of the transcription that you can identify patterns of ability and error and use this information to plan clinical management. After a thorough review on the history of the transcription of children's speech it has been found that the emphasis within this special topic issue lies upon cross-linguistic transcription.