The Semantic Processing of Spoken Words in Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy: Evidence from Word-Picture Matching Test

The present study aimed to assess and compare semantic processing of spoken words in adolescents with cerebral palsy and healthy adolescents. For this purpose, 30 adolescents with cerebral palsy aged 10 to 15 years were selected by convenience sampling method, all of whom were spastic. Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe (SCPE) network was used to classify adolescents with cerebral palsy. For the control group, 30 healthy adolescents were selected according to gender, age and education of adolescents with cerebral palsy. To assess the subjects, spoken word-picture matching test (47) was used. The results showed that adolescents with cerebral palsy had significantly weaker spoken word skill than healthy adolescents. Furthermore, the developing spoken words pattern in adolescents with cerebral palsy is delayed compared to healthy adolescents. In addition, data analysis revealed that adolescents with cerebral palsy have vocabulary network and perceptual impairment in spoken word processing. However, their perceptual impairment is far greater.