Developmental Cut-Points for Atypical Speech Intelligibility in Children With Cerebral Palsy.

Intelligibility was measured in a highly controlled laboratory setting using elicited speech, which may not reflect real-world communication performance. There are currently no clinically efficient tools to obtain objective intelligibility scores; the method requires orthographic transcription by unfamiliar listeners, which is cumbersome for routine practice. The study focused only on speech performance and did not account for language comprehension impairments, which may co-occur. The sample included children from homes where American English was the primary language, limiting generalizability to other linguistic contexts.

The study was funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. No conflicts of interest were reported.

Do not assume these thresholds can be applied immediately in clinic without adaptation. The study used a specific elicited speech task and rigorous transcription by unfamiliar listeners, not casual conversation or parent report. Currently, no efficient clinical tool replicates this measurement.