Cerebral Palsy
Conditions
Brief summary
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder affecting motor functions, cognition, and communication skills in children. Speech and language delays are prevalent among children with CP, significantly impacting their social interactions and daily life activities. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of hospital-based professional speech and language therapy with home-based parent-guided interventions for language development in children aged 18-36 months with CP. Participants will be assessed at baseline and after 6 months using standardized tools measuring motor functions, manual abilities, communication skills, and functional independence. The study will provide valuable insights into optimizing therapeutic approaches for language and communication development in children with CP.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALHospital-based Speech and Language Therapy
Participants will attend individual speech and language therapy sessions conducted by a professional speech-language therapist in a hospital setting.
BEHAVIORALHome-based Speech and Language Therapy
Parents will administer a structured speech and language intervention at home following a therapy program provided and supervised remotely by a professional speech-language therapist.
Sponsors
Selcuk University
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Months to 36 Months
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Clinical diagnosis of cerebral palsy * Age between 18 and 36 months * Hearing loss of less than 50 dB * No severe visual impairment that cannot be corrected with eyeglasses * Ability to understand simple verbal instructions * Written informed consent from a parent or legal guardian
Exclusion criteria
* Severe epileptic seizures * Presence of another neurological or psychiatric disorder * Inability to obtain written parental consent or ensure regular follow-up
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Functional Outcome in Communication Under Six (FOCUS-34) Total Score | Baseline (Month 0) and Month 6 after start of therapy | The FOCUS-34 questionnaire contains 34 parent-reported items scored 1 = "never" to 7 = "always." Total score range = 34 - 238 points. Higher scores indicate better communicative participation. The change score will be calculated as Month 6 minus Baseline. |
| Change in Turkish Communicative Development Inventory (TIGE) Expressive Vocabulary Raw Score | Baseline and Month 6 | TIGE is the Turkish adaptation of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories. The Expressive Vocabulary sub-scale counts the number of words the child can produce; range = 0 - 711 words. Higher scores represent better expressive language. Change = Month 6 minus Baseline. |
Contacts
CONTACTEzgi AKYILDIZ TEZCAN, Assistant Professor
Outcome results
None listed