Effectiveness of the Corrective Babbling Speech Treatment Program for Children With a History of Cleft Palate or Velopharyngeal Dysfunction

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of a phonetic-based, parent-administered treatment to reduce cleft-related speech errors. Design: Immediate treatment (IT) versus delayed treatment (DT) comparison followed by analysis of gains over approximately 4 months and again after a longer period of treatment for participants in both groups. Participants: Thirteen participants with a history of cleft palate or velopharyngeal dysfunction and speech disorder. Intervention: After training, parents were instructed to conduct daily 10-minute sessions of phonetic drills with their children. Main Outcome Measures: Group differences in percent consonants correct (PCC) were compared between those who did and those who did not receive the treatment. Pre- and posttreatment PCC comparisons were made after approximately 4 months of treatment and after termination of treatment. Results: Participants receiving Corrective Babbling therapy showed significant gains in PCC in limited contexts after 4 months of therapy. However, gains were not significantly greater for the IT versus DT group. Participants who continued with the treatment for longer than 4 months showed the greatest gains in PCC and had significant improvements in all speech contexts assessed. Parents reported satisfaction with the program. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that this treatment shows promise for at least some children with a history of cleft palate and velopharyngeal dysfunction.