Longitudinal Growth in Intelligibility of Connected Speech From 2 to 8 Years in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Novel Bayesian Approach
Publication: Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
Volume 63, Number 9
Pages 2880-2893
Abstract
Aim
The aim of the study was to examine longitudinal growth in intelligibility in connected speech from 2 to 8 years of age in children with cerebral palsy.
Method
Sixty-five children with cerebral palsy participated in the longitudinal study. Children were classified into speech-language profile groups using age-4 data: no speech motor impairment (SMI), SMI with typical language comprehension, and SMI with impaired language comprehension. We fit a Bayesian nonlinear mixed-effects model of intelligibility growth at the child and group levels. We compared groups by age of steepest growth, maximum growth rate, and predicted intelligibility at 8 years of age.
Results
The no SMI group showed earlier and steeper intelligibility growth and higher average outcomes compared to the SMI groups. The SMI groups had more variable growth trajectories, but the SMI with typical language comprehension group had higher age-8 outcomes and steeper rates of maximum growth than the SMI with impaired language comprehension group. Language comprehension impairment at age of 4 years predicted lower intelligibility outcomes at age of 8 years, compared to typical language at age of 4 years.
Interpretation
Children with SMI at age of 4 years show highly variable intelligibility growth trajectories, and comorbid language comprehension impairment predicts lower intelligibility outcomes.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
Volume 63 • Number 9 • September 2020
Pages: 2880-2893
PubMed: 32783783
Copyright
Copyright © 2020 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
History
- Received: Apr 16, 2020
- Revised: Jun 8, 2020
- Accepted: Jun 12, 2020
- Published online: Aug 12, 2020
- Published in issue: Sep 15, 2020
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