A Pilot Study of Parent Coaching on Speech and Language Intervention Strategies in Brazil for Young Children With Cleft Palate

This study examined the functional relation between the Teach-Model-Coach-Review (TMCR) instructional approach and Brazilian parents use of Enhanced Milieu Teaching with Phonological Emphasis (EMT-PE) strategies with their child with nonsyndromic cleft palate. A single-case multiple baseline across behaviors experimental design replicated across three parents was utilized. The Teach-Model-Coach-Review approach was applied to teach EMT-PE strategies (use of speech and language targets within balanced turns, use of speech recasting and/or language expansions, and use of communication elicitation procedures). The intervention was short term (2–3 months) and delivered in an in-person and hybrid in-person + telehealth model. Children’s expressive language outcomes were measured, and social validity data were collected. A functional relation between the TMCR intervention and parent’s use of EMT-PE strategies was found for the three dyads. All children showed improvement in their expressive language. Parents reported that the intervention approach was effective. Brazilian clinicians rated the approach as culturally valid.