Motor speech impairment, activity, and participation in children with cerebral palsy

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Cerebral palsy (CP) often involves motor speech impairments, affecting children's communication abilities.
• Understanding the prevalence and impact of these impairments on daily life is essential for targeted support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of motor speech impairment in a population-based sample of young children with CP.
• To investigate the association between motor speech impairment severity and children's activity and participation levels.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 79 Victorian children with CP (aged 4-6 years) was assessed.
• Motor speech impairment was measured using the Viking Speech Scale (VSS).
• Speech intelligibility (NTID), Functional Communication Classification System (FCCS), and Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) were used to assess activity and participation.

Main Results:

• Ninety percent (71/79) of children exhibited motor speech impairment.
• Significant associations were found between VSS scores and NTID, CFCS, and FCCS.
• Severe VSS levels (III-IV) correlated with restricted participation in home, school, and community settings.

Conclusions:

• Motor speech impairment is nearly universal in young children with CP.
• Severity of motor speech impairment strongly predicts limitations in speech intelligibility, functional communication, and overall participation.
• Children with milder speech impairments generally experience better activity and participation outcomes.