ACQ Vol 13 no 2 2011

and Goldbart (2008) explored the experiences of parents who have a child that uses or needs AAC. Both studies involved individual semi-structured interviews of 11 parents or carers of children aged 3 to 10 years (9 children were diagnosed with CP). Several facilitators were identified, including positive attitudes of others (Goldbart & Marshall, 2004), personality of the child (e.g., persistence in repairing communication breakdowns) (Marshall & Goldbart, 2008) and communicating with familiar adults (Marshall & Goldbart, 2008). Reported barriers included personality of the child (e.g., easily frustrated) (Goldbart & Marshall, 2004; Marshall & Goldbart, 2008), communicating with unfamiliar adults (Marshall & Goldbart, 2008), and insufficient professional training of service providers (Goldbart & Marshall, 2004). A lack of professional training was also identified by McNaughton, Rackensperger, Benedek-Wood, Krezman, Williams, and Light (2008) as a barrier to using AAC devices. McNaughton and colleagues conducted an on-line focus group involving seven parents with a child or adult with CP who had used an AAC device. In addition to inadequate training, parents also reported that communication was hindered by difficulties in obtaining services and funding, and by the negative attitudes of others (McNaughton et al., 2008). Summary The ICF-CY provides a useful framework for speech pathologists to consider when assessing the speech and language abilities of children with CP. Assessment should involve consideration of all components of the ICF-CY to determine deficits at both an impairment and functional level in order to establish functional therapy goals. Commonly used impairment-based assessments may be administered to children where appropriate. Formally assessing the functional communicative abilities of children with CP remains difficult given the lack of standardised assessments available (although clinicians may use measures such as the SPAA-C [McLeod, 2004] or AusTOMs [Perry & Skeat, 2004]). Future research is required to develop tools that measure the communicative abilities of children with CP at both an impairment and functional level to provide a more holistic approach to the management of children with CP. References Achilles, R. F. (1955). Communicative anomalies of individuals with cerebral palsy. Part I. Analysis of communicative processes in 151 cases of cerebral palsy. Cerebral Palsy Review , 16 , 15–24. Barty, E., & Caynes, K. (2009, February). Development of the functional communication classification system . Paper presented at the 3rd International Cerebral Palsy Conference, Sydney, Australia. Abstract retrieved 12 November 2010, from http://www.cpinstitute.com.au/ news/conference_proceedings.pdf Beukelman, D. R., & Mirenda, P. (2005). Augmentative and alternative communication: Supporting children and adults with complex communication needs (3rd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes. Dunn, L. (1965). Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test . Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service. Dunn, L. M., & Dunn, L. M. (1981). Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test – Revised . Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.

Eadie, T. L., Yorkston, K. M., Klasner, E. R., Dudgeon, B. J., Deitz, J. C., Baylor, C. R., Miller, R. M., & Amtmann, D. (2006). Measuring communicative participation: A review of self-report instruments in speech-language pathology. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology , 15 (4), 307–320. Geytenbeek, J., Harlaar, L., Stam, M., Ket, H., Becher, J. G., Oostrom, K., & Vermeulen, J. (2010). Utility of language comprehension tests for unintelligible or non- speaking children with cerebral palsy: A systematic review. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology , 52 (12), 267–277. Goldbart, J., & Marshall, J. (2004). “Pushes and pulls” on the parents of children who use AAC. Augmentative & Alternative Communication , 20 (4), 194–208. Hayden, D., & Square, P. (1999). Verbal motor production assessment for children . Oxford, UK: Harcourt Assessment. Hidecker, M. J. C., Paneth, N., Rosenbaum, P., Kent, R. D., Lillie, J., Johnson, B., & Chester, J. R. (2009). Development of the Communication Functional Classification System (CFCS) for individuals with cerebral palsy. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology , 51 (S2), 48. Howe, T. J. (2008). The ICF Contextual Factors related to speech-language pathology. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology , 10 (1), 27–37. Hustad, K. C., Gorton, K., & Lee, J. (2010). Classification of speech and language profiles in 4-year old children with cerebral palsy: A prospective preliminary study. Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research , 53 (6), 1496–1513. Kent, R., & Netsell, R. (1978). Articulatory abnormalities in athetoid cerebral palsy. Journal of Speech & Hearing Disorders , 43 (3), 353–373. Love, R. J., Hagerman, E. L., & Taimi, E. G. (1980). Speech performance, dysphagia and oral reflexes in cerebral palsy. Journal of Speech & Hearing Disorders , 45 (1), 59–75. McConachie, H., Colver, A. F., Forsyth, R. J., Jarvis, S. N., & Parkinson, K. N. (2006). Participation of disabled children: How should it be characterised and measured? Disability & Rehabilitation , 28 (18), 1157–1164. McLeod, S. (2004). Speech pathologists’ application of the ICF to children with speech impairment. Advances in Speech-Language Pathology , 6 (1), 75–81. McLeod, S., & Bleile, K. (2004). The ICF: A framework for setting goals for children with speech impairment. Child Language Teaching & Therapy , 20 , 199–219. McLeod, S., & Threats, T. T. (2008). The ICF-CY and children with communication disabilities. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology , 10 (1–2), 92–109. McNaughton, D., Rackensperger, T., Benedek-Wood, E., Krezman, C., Williams, M. B., & Light, J. (2008). “A child needs to be given a chance to succeed”: Parents of individuals who use AAC describe the benefits and challenges of learning AAC technologies. Augmentative & Alternative Communication , 24 (1), 43–55. Marshall, J., & Goldbart, J. (2008). “Communication is everything I think.” Parenting a child who needs Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders , 43 (1), 77–98. Morris, C., Kurinczuk, J. J., Fitzpatrick, R., & Rosenbaum, P. L. (2006). Do the abilities of children with cerebral palsy explain their activities and participation?

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