Speech Therapy for Cleft Palate: Parent Resource During COVID-19

Children born with cleft palate may experience difficulties with development of speech and language skills due to various factors. During these challenging times where children are not seeing their typical therapy providers, we wanted to provide an additional resource to help with continued speech and language development at home. This presentation should not replace regular therapy interventions when the COVID-19 pandemic is over or telehealth therapy visits where available during COVID-19.

The following handout presentation was created by the speech language pathologists of Shriners Hospitals for Children — Chicago's cleft/craniofacial team to explain how the speech and language skills of a child may be addressed in the home. Strategies are proposed for parents to encourage the development of normal articulation, and to help discourage any atypical misarticulations that can be encouraged by the child’s experience with the structural birth difference of cleft palate.

For Parents: Speech Language Intervention for Children with Cleft Palate