Prathanee Benjamas, Duangprasert Sumita, Chanachai Sasalaksamon, Piromchai Patorn
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand.
Mekong Health Science Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Thailand.
Clin Exp Dent Res. 2025 Aug;11(4):e70194. doi: 10.1002/cre2.70194.
Mobile applications are becoming essential for speech therapy, especially in areas with limited access to professional speech therapists. This technological intervention is especially pertinent during pandemics, which further restrict access to traditional therapeutic modalities. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a mobile application for articulation therapy, specifically designed for pediatric patients with articulation disorders associated with cleft palate.
The articulation exercises incorporated in the application encompassed 27 Thai initial and final consonant sounds, presented through video demonstrations and tabular reading materials. These materials included nonsense syllables, words, phrases, and sentences. The content validity was assessed using the Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) index. Face validity and functional satisfaction were evaluated by a panel comprising four speech-language pathologists (SLPs), five children with cleft palate with or without cleft lip (CP ± L) and their respective caregivers, and an expert in application design. The clinical efficacy of the application for speech correction was subsequently assessed in a cohort of 19 children diagnosed with CP ± L.
The Application for Articulation Therapy-Thai (AAT-T) was finalized after four iterative revisions. The IOC index for the application ranged from 0.80 to 1.00, indicating strong content validity. Functional satisfaction scores ranged from 76% to 100%, suggesting high user acceptability. Nineteen children participated in the clinical efficacy assessment; however, one child was withdrawn due to the inability to complete 6-month follow-up. The results demonstrated that AAT-T significantly reduced articulation errors in connected speech (mean difference = 2.33, SD = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.14-3.53, p < 0.001).
The AAT-T application emerged as an accessible, engaging, and motivational tool for articulation practice. Its efficacy in speech correction was demonstrated.
移动应用程序对言语治疗变得至关重要，尤其是在获得专业言语治疗师的机会有限的地区。这种技术干预在大流行期间尤为相关，因为大流行进一步限制了获得传统治疗方式的机会。本研究的目的是开发和评估一款用于发音治疗的移动应用程序，该应用程序专门为患有与腭裂相关的发音障碍的儿科患者设计。
应用程序中包含的发音练习涵盖了27个泰语的声母和韵母发音，通过视频演示和表格阅读材料呈现。这些材料包括无意义音节、单词、短语和句子。使用项目-目标一致性（IOC）指数评估内容效度。由四位言语语言病理学家（SLP）、五名有或无唇裂的腭裂儿童（CP±L）及其各自的照顾者以及一名应用程序设计专家组成的小组评估表面效度和功能满意度。随后在一组19名被诊断为CP±L的儿童中评估该应用程序对语音矫正的临床疗效。
经过四次迭代修订后，泰语发音治疗应用程序（AAT-T）最终确定。该应用程序的IOC指数范围为0.80至1.00，表明内容效度高。功能满意度得分范围为76%至100%，表明用户接受度高。19名儿童参与了临床疗效评估；然而，有一名儿童因无法完成6个月的随访而退出。结果表明，AAT-T显著减少了连贯言语中的发音错误（平均差异=2.33，标准差=2.40，95%置信区间=1.14-3.53，p<0.001）。
AAT-T应用程序成为一种易于使用、引人入胜且具有激励性的发音练习工具。其在语音矫正方面的疗效得到了证明。
