The impact of enhanced Milieu teaching with phonological emphasis (EMT + PE) on the speech and language outcomes for toddlers with cleft palate in Brazil and the United States of America.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the speech and language outcomes of children with cleft palate with or without cleft lip (CP+/-L) in the USA to children with CP+/-L in Brazil who underwent intervention with enhanced Milieu teaching with phonological emphasis (EMT + PE), as there are few cross-country intervention comparisons for children with CP+/-L.

Method: This is a retrospective analysis of 29 participants from the USA and 24 participants from Brazil who were matched on age. The US participants were between the ages of 13-35 months (M = 23.76), spoke Standard American English in the home, and were recruited from East Tennessee State University and Vanderbilt University. The Brazilian participants were between the ages of 20-34 months (M = 25.04), spoke Brazilian Portuguese in the home, and were recruited from the Hospital de Reabilitação de Anomalias Craniofaciais-Universidade de São Paulo. All treatment participants received EMT + PE from trained speech-language pathologists in hospital-university clinics.

Result: The treatment groups demonstrated greater gains than comparison groups in percent consonants correct, number of different words, and expressive/receptive vocabulary. There was no main effect nor interaction by country.

Conclusion: The application of EMT + PE in a second culture and language is a viable early intervention option for participants with CP+/-L.