Longitudinal development of communication in children with cerebral palsy between 24 and 53 months: Predicting speech outcomes

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether communication at 2 years predicted communication at 4 years in children with cerebral palsy (CP); and whether the age a child first produces words imitatively predicts change in speech production.

Method: 30 children (15 males) with CP participated and were seen 5 times at 6-month intervals between 24 and 53 months (mean age at time 1 = 26.9 months (SD 1.9)). Variables were communication classification at 24 and 53 months, age that children were first able to produce words imitatively, single-word intelligibility, and longest utterance produced.

Results: Communication at 24 months was highly predictive of abilities at 53 months. Speaking earlier led to faster gains in intelligibility and length of utterance and better outcomes at 53 months than speaking later.

Conclusion: Inability to speak at 24 months indicates greater speech and language difficulty at 53 months and a strong need for early communication intervention.

Keywords: Communication development; dysarthria; intelligibility; language; longitudinal study; speech.

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1

Longitudinally-assessed TOCS+ word intelligibility score (%) by age and age single word TOCS+ was first imitated1. Thin lines are individual children. Thick lines are group-specific least squares regression fits as a function of time (months) since onset of single word production. 1 None of the participants had an age of onset for single word productions in the 42 month age interval.

Figure 2

Longitudinally-assessed TOCS+ longest utterance by age and age single word TOCS+ was first imitated2. Thin lines are individual children. Thick lines are group-specific least squares regression fits as a function of time (months) since onset of single word production. 2 None of the participants had an age of onset for single word productions in the 42 month age interval.