Aim The aims of this study were to determine the intra‐ and interrater reliability of the Dutch‐language version of the Communication Function Classification System ( CFCS ‐ NL ) and to investigate the association between the CFCS level and (1) spoken language comprehension and (2) preferred method of communication in children with cerebral palsy ( CP ). Method Participants were 93 children with CP (50 males, 43 females; mean age 7y, SD 2y 6mo, range 2y 9mo–12y 10mo; unilateral spastic [ n =22], bilateral spastic [ n =51], dyskinetic [ n =15], ataxic [ n =3], not specified [ n =2]; Gross Motor Function Classification System level I [ n =16], II [ n =14], III , [ n =7], IV [ n =24], V [ n =31], unknown [ n =1]), recruited from rehabilitation centres throughout the Netherlands. Because some centres only contributed to part of the study, different numbers of participants are presented for different aspects of the study. Parents and speech and language therapists ( SLT s) classified the communication level using the CFCS . Kappa was used to determine the intra‐ and interrater reliability. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to determine the association between CFCS level and spoken language comprehension, and Fisher's exact test was used to examine the association between the CFCS level and method of communication. Results Interrater reliability of the CFCS ‐ NL between parents and SLT s was fair ( r =0.54), between SLT s good ( r =0.78), and the intrarater ( SLT ) reliability very good ( r =0.85). The association between the CFCS and spoken language comprehension was strong for SLT s ( r =0.63) and moderate for parents ( r =0.51). There was a statistically significant difference between the CFCS level and the preferred method of communication of the child ( p <0.01). Also, CFCS level classification showed a statistically significant difference between parents and SLT s ( p <0.01). Interpretation These data suggest that the CFCS ‐ NL is a valid and reliable clinical tool to classify everyday ...