Objective: To investigate speech development of children aged 5 and 10 years with repaired unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and identify speech characteristics when speech proficiency is not at 'peer level' at 10 years. Estimate how the number of speech therapy visits are related to speech proficiency at 10 years, and what factors are predictive of whether a child's speech proficiency at 10 years is at 'peer level' or not.

Design: Longitudinal complete datasets from the Scandcleft project.

Participants: 320 children from nine cleft palate teams in five countries, operated on with one out of four surgical methods.

Interventions: Secondary velopharyngeal surgery (VP-surgery) and number of speech therapy visits (ST-visits), a proxy for speech intervention.

Main Outcome Measures: 'Peer level' of percentage of consonants correct (PCC, > 91%) and the composite score of velopharyngeal competence (VPC-Sum, 0-1).

Results: Speech proficiency improved, with only 23% of the participants at 'peer level' at 5 years, compared to 56% at 10 years. A poorer PCC score was the most sensitive marker for the 44% below 'peer level' at 10-year-of-age. The best predictor of 'peer level' speech proficiency at 10 years was speech proficiency at 5 years. A high number of ST-visits received did not improve the probability of achieving 'peer level' speech, and many children seemed to have received excessive amounts of ST-visits without substantial improvement.

Conclusions: It is important to strive for speech at 'peer level' before age 5. Criteria for speech therapy intervention and for methods used needs to be evidence-based.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10556656231225575DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

'peer level'
32
speech proficiency
24
speech therapy
16
proficiency years
16
speech
15
years
9
secondary velopharyngeal
8
velopharyngeal surgery
8
'peer
8
level'
8

Similar Publications

Background: Remaking Recess (RR) is a school-based evidence-based peer social engagement intervention for autistic students. RR involves direct training and coaching with educators; however, educators face several barriers to implementation at both the individual- and organizational-levels. This protocol paper describes a multi-site study that will test whether an educator-level implementation strategy, coaching, with or without a school-level implementation strategy, school-based teams, will maximize educators' use (fidelity and sustainment) of RR for autistic students and their peers who are socially-isolated, rejected, or peripheral and may need additional support during recess.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Dutch adolescents predominantly purchase unhealthy snacks in supermarkets, which negatively influence their health. The aim of this study was to investigate the short- and longer-term effects of a nutrition peer-education intervention in supermarkets on food purchases and determinants of food purchase behaviour among adolescents of different education levels.

Methods: We performed a quasi-experimental study in three supermarkets (two intervention and one comparison school) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Commutability is where the measurement response for a reference material (RM) is the same as for an individual patient sample with the same concentration of analyte measured using two or more measurement systems. Assessment of commutability is essential when the RM is used in a calibration hierarchy or to ensure that clinical measurements are comparable across different measurement procedures and at different times. The commutability of three new Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) for determining serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], defined as the sum of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], was assessed through an interlaboratory study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Factors influencing individuals to move away from careers as clinical radiographers.

Radiography (Lond)

January 2025

Radiography and Diagnostic Imaging Section, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. Electronic address:

Introduction: Many factors can influence a radiographer to leave the clinical profession. The retention of radiographers in the clinical workforce is an issue for many countries including Ireland. This study aimed to explore factors influencing radiographers in Ireland to leave the clinical profession so that changes can be considered to reduce attrition from clinical workforce.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major burden on public health worldwide. To reduce adverse events and complications, effective T2DM self-management is required. Self-management and glycaemic control are generally poorer in lower educated people compared with higher educated people.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!