Language Development and Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP), a neurological condition that causes body movement and muscle control problems, can hamper language development. The muscles that control speech are often affected. Proper language development also requires the ability to hear and up to 15 percent of people with cerebral palsy have hearing impairments.

Significance

• While disabled, learning to effectively communicate with the world can help someone with cerebral palsy live a more fulfilling life.

Options

• Different CP treatment options can be beneficial for improving language development, including hearing aids, speech therapy, communication devices and learning sign language. However, hearing aids can also create confusion for a child, as the devices amplify all sounds, including background noise and other people's conversations.

Speech Therapy

• In speech therapy, a speech therapist works with a person with CP to develop control of the jaw and mouth muscles to help with language skills. For those who cannot speak, a speech therapist will also be able to determine if the person could benefit from learning sign language and/or using assistive communication devices.

Communication Devices

• Communication boards use pictures to communicate ideas. Computer-assisted devices can be used to "speak" for the CP person.

Sign Language

• Sign language serves as another option for cerebral palsy language development. However, depending on the degree of muscle coordination, signing can be a frustrating process for some of the CP population. Sign language can be modified to fit the individual.