title: Speech and language development in 2-year-old children with cerebral palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined early speech and language development in children who had cerebral palsy. Questions addressed whether children could be classified into early profile groups on the basis of speech and language skills and whether there were differences on selected speech and language measures among groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Speech and language assessments were completed on 27 children with CP who were between the ages of 24 and 30 months (mean age 27.1 months; SD 1.8). We examined several measures of expressive and receptive language, along with speech intelligibility.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two-step cluster analysis was used to identify homogeneous groups of children based on their performance on the seven dependent variables characterizing speech and language performance. Three groups of children identified were those not yet talking (44% of the sample); those whose talking abilities appeared to be emerging (41% of the sample); and those who were established talkers (15% of the sample). Group differences were evident on all variables except receptive language skills.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  85% of 2-year-old children with CP in this study had clinical speech and/or language delays relative to age expectations. Findings suggest that children with CP should receive speech and language assessment and treatment at or before 2 years of age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communicative Disorders & Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin , Madison, WI , USA.
authors.forename: Katherine C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Hustad
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McFadd
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Riehle
mesh_terms: D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007802:Language; D007804:Language Development; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D013060:Speech; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013068:Speech Production Measurement