Early Predictors and Correlates of Communication Function in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Speech and Language Pathology

Background:

• Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often face communication challenges.
• Early identification of factors predicting communication outcomes is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate birth characteristics and early developmental milestones as predictors of current functional communication in children with CP.
• To test the hypothesis that maternal reports of early vocal play and first words predict communication abilities.

Main Methods:

• A case series study involving 215 children (2-17 years) with CP.
• Data collection included maternal interviews for early developmental milestones and parent-reported Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) levels.

Main Results:

• Gestational age over 32 weeks, multiple comorbidities, delayed first words (after 24 months), and reliance on non-speech communication methods predicted less functional communication.
• Several birth factors and developmental language milestones were significant predictors of later communication performance.

Conclusions:

• Birth characteristics and early language milestones are valuable indicators of future communication abilities in children with CP.
• These findings support early referrals for comprehensive communication evaluations, including speech, language, hearing, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) assessments.