A cleft charity recently launched a Filipino mobile speech application in a bid to address the current disrupted access to speech therapy services for cleft-affected patients and their families.
Smile Train Philippines’ app boasts kid-friendly features and lively graphics and offers a wide array of educational videos and speech therapy sessions in Filipino.
The Smile Train app also serves as a platform for patients and families affected with cleft to connect with healthcare professionals to ensure that they can continue to receive comprehensive cleft care with minimal disruptions.
Since the start of the pandemic, Smile Train’s speech telehealth program in the Philippines has treated over 200 patients, providing them with more than 1,000 cleft care-related sessions – including speech therapy, nutritional support, breastfeeding guidance for mothers of babies with clefts, pre-surgical consultations, and psychosocial care.
“Technology has allowed us at Smile Train to deliver the speech therapy needs of children with cleft throughout this pandemic. Safety is our foremost priority, and I am glad that this app allows us to safely serve the needs of these kids in the comfort and safety of their homes,” said Smile Train Southeast Asia director Kimmy Flaviano.
The app also addresses a glaring gap in reaching kids with cleft. “With the app, distance is no longer a problem. Kids may start their speech therapy sessions which they otherwise would not have started without the app,” said Veronica Yu, a speech pathologist and the lead content creator of the app.
The app is now available on the App Store and Google Play Store.
