Outcome measures of speech and language using teleintervention for children with repaired cleft lip and palate

Background: Children with repaired cleft lip and palate (RCLP) often face persistent speech and language difficulties requiring long-term intervention. However, due to practical challenges such as distance, finance, personal, logistical barriers, etc., access to consistent therapy is limited. Aim: The present study examined the impact of teleintervention on speech and language outcomes in children with RCLP, with a focus on analyzing maternal language measures. Methods: A pre-post single-case study design was employed with five children (aged 1–4 years) diagnosed with a spoken language disorder secondary to RCLP. Each child and their mother participated in 20 telesessions involving the Focused Stimulation approach and strategies conducted over the Zoom platform to stimulate speech and language outcomes. Language and speech measures were analyzed pre- and post-intervention using mother–child interaction samples. The language outcome measures included the total number of utterances, total number of words, number of different words, mean length of utterance, type-token ratio, and speech measures, such as vowel and consonant inventories. Similar maternal language measures were also analyzed. Results: Post-teleintervention findings revealed notable improvements in all language measures, characterized by increased lexical diversity and longer utterances. Speech analysis showed expansion in vowel and consonant inventories, particularly in high vowels, glottal stops, nasal bilabial, and nasal dentals. Mothers demonstrated increased use of responsive communication strategies, indicating enhanced awareness and engagement. Conclusions: Teleintervention is a promising and effective model for delivering early speech–language services in underserved settings. It facilitates parent-led support, promotes consistent care, and addresses access barriers, making it a practical solution for early intervention in children with RCLP.