Longitudinal Growth in Single-Word Intelligibility Among Children With Cerebral Palsy From 24 to 96 Months of Age: Effects of Speech-Language Profile Group Membership on Outcomes
Publication: Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
Volume 63, Number 1
Pages 32-48
Abstract
Purpose
We examined whether there were differences among speech-language profile groups of children with cerebral palsy (CP) in age of crossing 25%, 50%, and 75% intelligibility thresholds; age of greatest intelligibility growth; rate of intelligibility growth; maximum attained intelligibility at 8 years; and how well intelligibility at 36 months predicts intelligibility at 96 months when group membership is accounted for. Profile groups were children with no speech motor impairment (NSMI), those with speech motor impairment and language comprehension that is typically developing (SMI-LCT), and those with speech motor impairment and language comprehension impairment (SMI-LCI).
Method
Sixty-eight children with CP were followed longitudinally between 24 and 96 months of age. A total of 564 time points were examined across children (M = 8.3 time points per child, SD = 2.6). We fitted a nonlinear random effects model for longitudinal observations, allowing for differences between profile groups. We used the fitted model trajectories to generate descriptive analyses of intelligibility growth by group and to generate simulations to analyze how well 36-month intelligibility data predicted 96-month data accounting for profile groups.
Results
Children with CP who have NSMI have different growth and better intelligibility outcomes than those with speech motor impairment. Children with SMI-LCT tend to have better outcomes but similar intelligibility growth as children with SMI-LCI. There may be a subset of children that cut across SMI-LCI and SMI-LCT groups who have severe speech motor involvement and show limited growth in intelligibility.
Conclusions
Intelligibility outcomes for children with CP are affected by profile group membership. Intelligibility growth tends to be delayed in children with speech motor impairment. Intelligibility at 3 years is highly predictive of later outcomes regardless of profile group. Intervention decision making should include consideration of early intelligibility, and treatment directions should include consideration of augmentative and alternative communication.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
Volume 63 • Number 1 • January 2020
Pages: 32-48
PubMed: 31910070
Copyright
Copyright © 2020 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
History
- Received: Jun 26, 2019
- Revised: Aug 30, 2019
- Accepted: Sep 16, 2019
- Published online: Jan 7, 2020
- Published in issue: Jan 22, 2020
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- Kristen M. Allison, Marnie Millington, Alanna Grimm, Can We Trust Our Ears? How Accurate and Reliable Are Speech-Language Pathologists' Estimates of Children's Speech Intelligibility?, American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 10.1044/2024_AJSLP-24-00247, 34, 2, (853-867), (2025).
- Helen L. Long, Katherine C. Hustad, Vocal Characteristics of Children With Cerebral Palsy and Anarthria, Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 10.1044/2024_JSLHR-24-00317, 67, 11, (4264-4274), (2024).
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- Kristen M. Allison, Kayla M. Doherty, Relation of Speech-Language Profile and Communication Modality to Participation of Children With Cerebral Palsy, American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 10.1044/2023_AJSLP-23-00267, 33, 2, (1040-1050), (2024).
- Julie Liss, Speech Intelligibility, The Handbook of Clinical Linguistics, Second Edition, 10.1002/9781119875949.ch41, (605-613), (2024).
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