Usability Of An Interactive Board Game As Therapy Tool In Children With Speech Sound Disorders

Articulation errors commonly occur in children with Cleft Lip and/or Palate (CLP) and adversely affect overall speech intelligibility. It is important to address articulation errors early to reduce the impact on long term communication skills. Parental involvement has been shown to increase the effectiveness of speech therapy because parents were able to carry out speech therapy tasks consistently with their children in their own homes. This study aimed to develop a Parent-Led Interactive Board Game (PLIBG) for articulation therapy in children with CLP. In Phase I, market survey and website search regarding existing board game were conducted. In Phase II, board game prototypes using the motor approach for speech intervention were developed and trialled. Finally, in Phase III, the usability of the newly developed board game called Monstack [1] was evaluated. Nineteen respondents comprising eight experienced speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and eleven parents of children with CLP or SSD were recruited to test the board game prototype. Findings show that majority of the participants (94.7%) were satisfied with the Monstack board game as a tool for articulation therapy. 89.4% of the participants agreed that the board game is fun and all children wants to play the board game again. Suggestions to improve the board game were also documented. Overall, the first PIBG was developed and may potentially provide a viable alternative to articulation therapy amongst speech-language therapists in Malaysia. [1] The board game developed was named ‘Monstack Board Game’ and used throughout this study. DOI :  http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/JSKM-2021-1902-02