RecruitingNot ApplicableNCT07173049

Speech Production Enhancement Using Augmentative Communication for Kids

Speech Supplementation Strategies for Improving Intelligibility in Children With Cerebral Palsy (CP)

Sponsor

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Enrollment

100 participants

Start Date

May 1, 2026

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Conditions

Cerebral Palsy (CP)Augmentative and Alternative Communication Intelligibility, Speech

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if speech supplementation can improve speech intelligibility in children ages 7 to 17 years with cerebral palsy. The main questions it aims to answer are: * To what extent can speech supplementation improve intelligibility in children with CP compared with habitual speech produced without speech supplementation? * How much intelligibility change is necessary for meaningful improvement when children use speech supplementation strategies? Participants will: * complete speech and language assessments * complete a speech pre-test using habitual speech * learn a speech supplementation strategy with training from a speech-language pathologist * complete a speech post-test using the speech supplementation strategy * complete a speech repetition task where specific words are emphasized (emphatic stress) * use the previously learned speech supplementation strategy + emphasis on specific words while producing a set of sentences

Eligibility

Min Age: 7 YearsMax Age: 17 Years

Inclusion Criteria9

Medical diagnosis of cerebral palsy, or a similar, related condition that affects early motor development and presents as a chronic motor disability
Age between 7 and 17 years
Clinical dysarthria with speech intelligibility between 10-85 percent
Able to produce connected speech in English, with a minimum utterance length of 3 words
Able to use hands to point to items on a communication board
Cognitive/language skills that enable basic picture identification on a communication board
Pass pure tone hearing screening
Vision impairment that precludes being able to see items on a communication board.
Not suitable for participation due to other reasons at the discretion of the investigators.

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Interventions

BEHAVIORALAAC Speech supplementation

The speech supplementation intervention involves learning to point to pictures, words, or letters on a communication board while simultaneously producing speech. Children will spend up to 30 minutes learning to use the strategy in one- on-one interaction with a speech therapist and demonstrate mastery by using the strategy successfully on a series of test stimuli.