Abstract
This paper describes the development of an instrument to assess comprehension of spoken language in children with severe cerebral palsy (CP) who cannot speak, and for whom standard language assessment measures are not appropriate due to severe motor impairment. This instrument, the Computer-Based instrument for Low motor Language Testing (C-BiLLT), was administered to 42 children without disabilities (aged 14 months to 60 months) and to 18 children with severe CP (age 19 months to 71 months). Preliminary data showed that the instrument was acceptable to the children. Convergent validity was investigated by correlating C-BiLLT scores with test results on the well-established Reynell Developmental Language Scales (RDLS). Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks are extended to our young participants and members of their family for their willingness to cooperate in our study. The authors also thank VandenDries Web Solutions and John Vos Art Work. We are also grateful to Heliomare, Trappenberg, Mytylschool Amsterdam, Rehabilitation Centre of Amsterdam St Maartenskliniek and Nifterlake for their collaboration in this multi-centre study. Financial support was gratefully received from the Rotary Club in Goes (The Netherlands), and Fujitsu-Siemens in Maarssen (The Netherlands). The project (number 2008043) is financially supported by Phelps-Stichting.
Notes
1 Registered trademark of Fujitsu-Siemens, headquartered in Munich, Germany.
2 Registered trademark of AbleNet Inc., located in Roseville, MN
3 Registered trademark of Eastman Kodak Company, with head offices in Rochester, New York.
4 Adobe Photoshop is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated, San Jose, CA.