Article

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often experience communication
difficulties. We aimed to identify a classification system for communication of
children with CP suitable for epidemiological surveillance. METHOD: Systems to
classify the communication of children with CP were identified. The Communication
Function Classification System (CFCS), Functional Communication Classification
System (FCCS), and Viking Speech Scale (VSS) were chosen for further
investigation and translated. They were administered to 155 children aged 4 to 13
years with CP (across all motor severity levels) from eight European countries.
Children's parents/carers, speech therapists, and other health professionals
applied the systems through direct observation. Other professionals applied them
from case notes only. The systems were assessed for agreement, stability, ease,
and feasibility of application. RESULTS: Test-retest stability was
moderate-to-high for VSS (k=0.66-0.88), CFCS (k=uncomputed-0.91), and FCCS
(k=0.52-0.91). Overall interrater agreement was fair to very good for every
classification system. VSS achieved the best agreement between parents/carers and
speech therapists. VSS was considered the easiest instrument to apply.
INTERPRETATION: Because of its ease of use by a range of healthcare
professionals, the VSS should be considered for CP registers which intend to
survey speech intelligibility. For a wider assessment of communication, the CFCS
or FCC should be considered.
CI - (c) 2015 Mac Keith Press.

Langue : ANGLAIS