AAC and Early Intervention for Children with Cerebral Palsy: Parent Perceptions and Child Risk Factors

Abstract

The current study examined parent perceptions of communication, the focus of early intervention goals and strategies, and factors predicting the implementation of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for 26 two-year-old children with cerebral palsy. Parents completed a communication questionnaire and provided early intervention plans detailing child speech and language goals. Results indicated that receptive language had the strongest association with parent perceptions of communication. Children who were not talking received a greater number of intervention goals, had a greater variety of goals, and had more AAC goals than children who were emerging and established talkers. Finally, expressive language had the strongest influence on AAC decisions. Results are discussed in terms of the relationship between parent perceptions and language skills, communication as an emphasis in early intervention, AAC intervention decisions, and the importance of receptive language.

Keywords:

• Cerebral palsy
• parent perceptions
• early language intervention
• augmentative and alternative communication

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by National Institutes of Health grant R01DC009411 to Katherine C. Hustad as well as the post-doctoral training grant T32HD07489 and grant P30HD03352 to the Waisman Center from the National Institutes of Health.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Notes

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