Reliability of perceptual assessment for resonance disorders in patients with cleft palate

Abstract

Objective: Determine reliabilities of perceptual assessment of resonance disorders in people with cleft palate. Material and Method: A prospective study of inter- and intra-rater reliability of perceptual screening assessment of resonance disorders with 6-scale and 2-scale criteria among19 speech and language pathologists (SLPs) from 30 connected speech samples of children with cleft palate aged 4-17 years via video recorder when compared to principle investigators. Results: The percentage of agreement of inter-rater ranged from 23.33-100.00 while Kappa's coefficients was 0.08-0.67. For intra-rater reliability, the present study showed the percentage of agreement ranged from 46.67-100, Kappa's coefficient was 0.17-1. It seems that the more number of years experiences as an SLP, the better listening skill. Conclusion: Reliabilities of perceptual assessment of resonance varied widely but it appears that listening skill might be directly related to experiences. Training programs for critical listening skills are needed.