Speech Correction for Children with Cleft Lip and Palate in Community: Kantharawichai Networking

To compare number of pre- and post-articulation errors of children with cleft lip and palate who enrolled in Khon Kaen University Community-Based Speech Therapy Model (KKUCSM): Kantharawichai Networking, Maha Sarakham Province.

Seven children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) who lived in or near Kantharawichai, Maha Sarakham, were enrolled using purposive samplings in three phases. Phase I, II, and III recruited four, one and two children with CLP, respectively. The children were assessed for speech and language skills, including language, understand ability, accept ability, articulation, resonance, and voice by two qualified speech and language pathologists (SLPs) before and after each phase. Three to four of 30- to 45-minute speech therapy sessions with teaching on services for a speech assistant (SA) and caregivers were provided for each child by SLPs in intensive speech camp and each 1-day follow-up speech camp. Then, SA and caregivers gave speech corrections (SC) at networking health care unit, Kantharawichai Hospital, and at home. Each phase took approximately one year. Data were analyzed using comparisons of mean and standard deviation between numbers of pre- and post-articulation errors.

There was a statistically significant decrease in articulation errors after KKUCSM. Six of seven children with CLP (85.7%) had significant improvement in articulation.

Kantharawichai Networking of KKUCSM was one of the effective ways for providing speech correction in children with CLP, particularly for those who have difficulties accessing speech services.