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Saudi Journal of Medicine (SJM)
Volume-11 | | Issue-10 | 366-372
Original Research Article
Oral Motor Difficulties and Speech Intelligibility in Bangla-Speaking Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Cross-Sectional Study
Md. Ubydullah Pathan, Sanjida Ahmed, Quddus Miah, Pranto Chakroborty, Hakim Arif, Shaheen Akhter
Published : Oct. 27, 2026
DOI : https://doi.org/10.36348/sjm.2026.v11i10.004
Abstract
Cerebral palsy (CP) commonly impairs oral motor function and speech intelligibility. This cross-sectional study assessed oral motor difficulties and speech intelligibility in 90 parents of children with CP (aged 6–14 years) at two specialized centers in Dhaka, Bangladesh, using a structured questionnaire, the Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS), and a Likert-type oral motor rating scale. Most children were male (61.1%; mean age 8.79±2.92 years). Oral motor difficulties were identified in 68.9% of participants; 80% had speech delay and 55.6% had a slow speech rate. The mean ICS score was 3.01±1.21, indicating children were only sometimes understood by communication partners. Oral motor difficulties were significantly associated with lip, tongue, and jaw movements and with speech intelligibility (p<0.05), but not with age (p=0.104). Oral motor difficulties are common among Bangla-speaking children with CP and adversely affect speech intelligibility, supporting the need for early speech therapy and Bangla-specific assessment tools.
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