title: Speech Therapy for Children with Cleft Lip and Palate Using a Community-Based Speech Therapy Model with Speech Assistants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluate the speech services using a Community-Based Speech Therapy model by trained speech assistants (SAs) on the improvement of articulation in cleft palate children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen children with repaired cleft palates who lived in Chiang Rai and Phayao provinces were registered to the camp. They received speech therapy with a 4-day intensive camp and five follow-up camps at Chiang Rai's The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). Eight speech assistants (SAs) were trained to correct articulation errors with specific modeling by the speech-language pathologists (SLPs). SAs encouraged family members to stimulate their children every day with speech exercise at home. Each camp was covered with a main speech therapy and others supported by the multidisciplinary team, as well as, discussion among SLPs, SAs and the care givers for feedback or difficulties.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed a sufficient method for treating persistent speech disorders associated with cleft palate. Perceptual analyses presented significant improvement of misarticulation sounds both word and sentence levels after speech camp (mean difference = 1.5, 95% confidence interval = 0.5-2.5, p-value <0.01; mean difference = 2.5, 95% confidence interval = 1-3, p-value <0.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Community-Based Speech Therapy model is a valid and efficient method for providing speech therapy in cleft palate children.
authors.forename: Kalyanee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Makarabhirom
authors.forename: Benjamas
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Prathanee
authors.forename: Ratchanee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suphawatjariyakul
authors.forename: Phanomwan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yoodee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D013070:Speech Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D013785:Thailand