Impact of Early Speech-Language Intervention on Communication Outcomes in a Child with Cerebral Palsy and Comorbid Epileptic Seizures Under Pharmacological Management: A Case Study

Mridula Rani, Prasanta Kumar Sahoo, Monika Rani, Rahul Shailat

Authors

Mridula Rani, Prasanta Kumar Sahoo, Monika Rani, Rahul Shailat

Abstract

This case study examines the therapeutic outcomes of early speech-language intervention in a two-year-old child diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy associated with epileptic seizure disorder under anticonvulsant pharmacotherapy. The child presented with significant delays in receptive and expressive language development, impaired communicative intent, reduced joint attention, and oro-motor incoordination. Initial assessment revealed receptive language abilities corresponding to 7–8 months and expressive language abilities corresponding to 10–11 months of developmental age. A multidisciplinary intervention approach involving structured speech-language therapy, oral-motor facilitation, parent-mediated language stimulation, and continuous neurological management was implemented over six months. Post-intervention assessment demonstrated substantial improvement across receptive, expressive, pragmatic, and socio-communicative domains, with developmental functioning approaching chronological age expectations. The findings emphasize the significance of neuroplasticity-based early intervention, interdisciplinary rehabilitation, and intensive parental participation in optimizing communication outcomes in pediatric neurological populations.

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