The effects of tongue strength on speech production skills in children with cerebral palsy

Objectives: The aims of this study were to examine the tongue strength of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and to identify the relationship between tongue strength and speech production skills at word level in children with CP. Methods: Twenty children with CP participated in this study, and they ranged in age from 5 to 15 years. The children were median- split into two groups (children with higher tongue strength vs. children with lower tongue strength) based on maximal tongue strength. The maximal tongue strength was obtained using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument. The speech production skills were measured using the Assessment of Phonology and Articulation for Children, and the percentage of consonants correct (PCC) of all children was calculated according to the place and manner of articulation. Results: Children with higher tongue strength obtained significantly higher PCC than children with lower tongue strength. The maximal tongue strength was significantly correlated with PCC of all places and manners of articulation (all p < .01). Maximal tongue strength was a significant predictor of speech production skills in children with CP. Conclusion: Children with higher tongue strength had significantly better speech production skills than children with lower tongue strength. Tongue strength was an important factor accounting for individual differences in speech production skills for children with CP. The results indicate that tongue strength may serve as a clinically critical index in predicting speech production skills in children with CP.