title: Language outcomes of children with cerebral palsy aged 5 years and 6 years: a population-based study.
abstract: To examine the frequency, range, and features of language impairment in a community sample of children with cerebral palsy (CP) aged 5 to 6 years.
  
  
  
  Children with CP born between 2005 and 2007 were identified through the Victorian Cerebral Palsy Register. Eighty-four participants were recruited, representing 48% of the contacted families. The recruited sample was representative of non-participants. Participants completed standardized measures of receptive and expressive language, and non-verbal cognition.
  
  
  
  Language impairment was identified in 61% (51/84) of participants. Twenty-four per cent (20/84) were non-verbal. Co-occurring receptive and expressive language impairment was common (37/84, 44%). Isolated receptive (6/84, 7%) and expressive (4/84, 5%) impairments occurred relatively infrequently. At a group level, verbal and non-verbal participants demonstrated deficits across language subdomains (i.e. semantics, syntax, morphology), rather than in single domains. Cognitive impairment and Gross Motor Function Classification System levels IV and V were associated with higher rates of language impairment (odds ratio [OR] 15.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.2-71.8 and OR 8.5, 95% CI 1.8-40.3 respectively). Only cognition was independently associated with language impairment when both of these factors were considered within a multivariable model.
  
  
  
  Language impairment was common in 5-year-old and 6-year-old children with CP, affecting three out of five children. Participants were impaired across linguistic subdomains indicating a generalized language deficit. Findings suggest most children would benefit from a clinical language assessment. To target services effectively, subgroups of individuals with CP at greatest risk for language impairment need to be identified.
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.|The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mei
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.|Menzies Health Institute, Gold Coast, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Sheena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reilly
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.|The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: Dinah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reddihough
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.|The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mensah
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pennington
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.|The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morgan
mesh_terms: D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D012042:Registries; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology