Cognition and learning difficulties in a representative sample of school-aged children with cerebral palsy

Nearly half of all children with CP experience intellectual impairment, with impacts on academic achievement. To assess cognitive and academic functioning for primary-school aged children with CP This population-based cohort study assessed 93 participants (male n = 62; mean = 9 years 9 months, SD 1 y 1.8 months) on measures of fluid and crystallised intelligence (Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test) and academic achievement (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test). Analyses included t-tests, Pearson’s chi-square and regression. 41 (44.1%) children met criteria consistent with intellectual developmental disorder. Academic skills were significantly below population means on word reading (M= 85.4, SD = 19.3), t(66) = −6.2, p