Re-Thinking Diagnostic Classification of the Dysarthrias: A Developmental Perspective

Acquired childhood dysarthria (ACD) receives little attention in the research literature in contrast with the adult correlate of the disorder. Speech language pathologists working in this field find diagnosis and management challenging, arguably because there is no child-based dysarthria diagnostic classification. Clinicians are either dependent upon developmental speech models that are not specific to dysarthria and that ignore the neural basis of the disorder, or on adult-based neurobehavioural classification systems. Here we consider the necessary elements for developing a clinically useful and empirically driven diagnostic classification system for ACD. The paper is divided into 2 parts. First, we question whether an adult diagnostic model can be validly applied to children. Second, we propose a methodological approach to develop a classification system for ACD. Specifically, we propose that advancing knowledge in neurobehavioural correlations of ACD is contingent upon large-scale studies, likely requiring international collaboration, which pool brain and speech outcome data. Ideally, researchers across centres would apply standard protocols to: (1) characterize speech behaviour, and (2) brain structure, function and connectivity. When enough data is available to achieve statistical power, analysis could determine subgroups of dysarthria defined by speech behaviour. The commonalities of neural profiles of subgroups could then be examined to create an empirically driven theory of brain-behaviour relationships in ACD to underpin the classification system. Clinical diagnosis for children with ACD will remain limited until such data become available.