Expressive vocabulary intervention for four 2- to 3-year-old children with cerebral palsy and speech/language...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Speech-Language Pathology
• Developmental Disabilities
• Childhood Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

• Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often experience speech and language difficulties, impacting expressive vocabulary development.
• Early intervention is crucial for improving communication outcomes in young children with CP.
• Parent-delivered interventions can increase access to therapy and support at home.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a parent-delivered expressive vocabulary intervention utilizing focused stimulation techniques.
• To evaluate the impact of this intervention on young children diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP).

Main Methods:

• A single-case A-B design was employed, comparing baseline (A) and intervention (B) phases.
• Four preschool-aged boys with CP and limited expressive vocabulary participated.
• Parents delivered the focused stimulation intervention daily for five weeks following training.

Main Results:

• Three participants demonstrated gains in the use of targeted expressive words, with two showing significant improvement.
• Parent-reported expressive vocabulary increased for all participants, with substantial gains in two children.
• Generalization of vocabulary was assessed using a parent-rated checklist.

Conclusions:

• Parent-delivered focused stimulation intervention shows potential for enhancing expressive vocabulary in children with CP and related speech/language impairments.
• The findings support the use of this intervention in larger, more controlled single-case studies.