Communication Boards for Cerebral-Palsied Children

Abstract

Some cerebral-palsied children, because of severe motoric disability, are unable to develop functional speech. Often the greater their desire to communicate, the more tense they become, and the less successful are their attempts at speech. Unable to communicate, such children often become passive and dependent. They are denied the practice and experience necessary for the development of language abilities and effective social interaction. The early use of a communication board helps prevent many of these problems. The child should be evaluated physically to determine positions and movements which facilitate pointing. Intellectual and educational assessment are needed to determine board content. Content and physical layout are also discussed. Good clinical results are obtained with language boards. The children become more relaxed, and their oral responses and vocalizations increase. Phonics, vocabulary, reading, and other linguistic skills improve considerably when children are able to express their thoughts and feelings.