Longitudinal growth of receptive language in children with cerebral palsy between 18 months and 54 months of age.

AIM: We examined receptive language developmental trajectories between 18 months and 54 months for three clinical speech-language profile groups of children with cerebral palsy (those with speech motor involvement, without speech motor involvement, and with anarthria) and quantified differences from age-level expectations. We identified latent classes of comprehension development, related these classes to clinical profile groups, and examined how well early receptive language predicted outcomes.

METHOD: We used a prospective longitudinal design. Eighty-five children with cerebral palsy (43 females, 42 males) were followed longitudinally from 18 to 54 months of age. Children were seen two to eight times (322 data points). Children were classified into clinical profile groups. Language comprehension age-equivalent scores were the primary measures of interest.

RESULTS: Children with anarthria had significant language delays, limited developmental change over time, and comprised their own latent class. Children with speech motor impairment had slight receptive language delays over time. Children with no speech motor impairment had age-appropriate receptive language over time. Early language comprehension scores were highly predictive of later latent profile group membership.

INTERPRETATION: Early language comprehension abilities are highly predictive of language comprehension growth trajectory and suggest that children with early language delay, particularly those who are non-speaking, should receive language intervention to support development.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: There are two growth trajectories for language comprehension among children with cerebral palsy. Children with speech motor impairment had a constant 6-month receptive language delay. Children without speech motor impairment had age-appropriate receptive language. Non-speaking children had significant receptive language delay. Early language comprehension change was highly predictive of later trajectory group.