Perceptions of Interdisciplinary Cleft Treatment: A Qualitative Pilot Study of Children With Cleft Palate and Their Parents

What is already known on this subject Treating children with a cleft palate with or without a cleft lip (CP±L) requires an interdisciplinary approach aimed at improving their quality of life (QoL). Treatment typically involves surgeries and non-surgical interventions such as speech therapy and orthodontics. Previous insights indicate that interdisciplinary treatment can be perceived as burdensome due to factors such as financial costs, emotional strain and the time investment required. Furthermore, the experiences and perceptions of children and parents play a critical role in how they view the benefits and challenges of treatment.What this paper adds to existing knowledge This study addresses a gap in current evidence by exploring experiences of children with CP±L and their parents, which have been under-researched qualitatively. While previous studies identified financial, emotional and time-related burdens of interdisciplinary care, limited insight exists into how families perceive and make sense of these challenges in their daily lives. Our findings show that families' perceptions, such as viewing treatment as worthwhile despite its demands, strongly influence their coping and adaptation to long-term care. This qualitative perspective complements quantitative research by offering a deeper understanding of the subjective dimensions of treatment burden and motivation for continued care.What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? This study highlights the importance for a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to cleft treatment that addresses medical, emotional and financial challenges. While service-wide collaboration and shared decision-making are essential, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play a key role in providing empathetic communication, supporting family resilience, and managing treatment expectations. These insights are also relevant for SLPs in other domains, demonstrating how integrating patient and parent perspectives can enhance family-centred practice. By combining individual support with coordinated teamwork, SLPs can help reduce treatment burdens and contribute to improved long-term outcomes for children and their families.