Longitudinal Development of Receptive Vocabulary in Children with Cerebral Palsy and Anarthria: Use of the MacArthur-Bates CDI.
Michael Molinaro, Aimee Teo Broman, Paul J Rathouz and 1 others
PMID 31352864WHAT IT FOUND
Parent-reported receptive vocabulary grew slowly in non-speaking children with cerebral palsy, but growth varied widely.
Some children gained as much as 150 words per year, while others showed little or no increase. Vocabulary at four years was strongly linked to later growth.
Key findings
01Parent-reported receptive vocabulary increased gradually over time, particularly from 18 to 53 months.
02Over 35% of children had very low or zero growth rates, while a few were estimated to gain as much as 150 words per year.
03About 35% of children had 50 words or fewer at age four, and vocabulary at four years was strongly associated with faster growth.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was small for this population, so the patterns may not represent all children with cerebral palsy and anarthria. Parent report can be inaccurate if some parents overestimate or underestimate their child's vocabulary. The MCDI word lists are finite and were used beyond their usual age range, so they may understate total receptive vocabulary. The study examined only receptive vocabulary, not syntax, morphology, pragmatics, or cognitive profiles. AAC information was cursory, so the study cannot separate the effect of AAC type, frequency, or duration. The study did not test whether the observed patterns differ from chance.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that AAC caused faster vocabulary growth. The study observed an association, and the authors state that causality cannot be assumed.