A Review of Available Online Continuing Education Opportunities in Cleft Care for Practicing Speech-Language Pathologists

Purpose: Practicing speech-language pathologists (SLPs) from various settings have increasingly expressed the need for ongoing education in cleft care, including accurate and accessible continuing education options and relevant information concerning clinical practice. The purpose of this review was to define and categorize the current landscape and availability of postgraduate continuing education opportunities. Method: We searched five commonly used websites for continuing education opportunities in cleft-related topics: ASHA CEFind, ASHA Learning Pass, The Informed SLP, SpeechPathology.com , and Google. Relevant information was coded based on resource type (e.g., online webinars, virtual conferences) and topics related to cleft care. Results: Our search revealed a total of 1,106 search results. After duplicates were removed and criteria were applied, there were 62 records included for analysis. Seventeen broad topics were covered, with some resources addressing multiple topics. The most common topic was the treatment of articulation disorders related to velopharyngeal dysfunction ( n = 22). All records ( N = 62) were delivered online and asynchronously, with 61 requiring payment. Conclusions: Postgraduate continuing education opportunities in cleft care for practicing SLPs are accessible, although there are very few free, high-quality opportunities for SLPs seeking continuing education in this area. Treatment of articulation disorders related to velopharyngeal dysfunction was the most common topic area, although there are other areas where high-quality resources are necessary to improve patient care. Improving access to affordable or free high-quality continuing education resources could improve overall evidence-based care for clients who need cleft care. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.31917324