Cleft Care at Home
Comprehensive cleft care does not only happen at your local Smile Train partner treatment center. It is vital that children and caregivers continue treatment at home.
9 Reasons to Smile
This activity book is filled with creative art projects and engaging family games that help people with clefts explore their emotions, their relationships, and their world — even while at home. It can be used as a printed booklet or as a guide on a phone. It is available in many languages — please use, share, and send pictures or videos of your child using it at home to info@smiletrainindia.org.
Speech Home Practice & Parent Resources
Smile Train’s Speech Library includes fun home practice activities such as games, books, and videos, as well as valuable parent and caregiver educational materials. You and your family may use these resources to practice your child’s speech skills at home, learn about cleft speech strategies, and gain a better understanding of speech therapy principles. Many of these materials were developed by Smile Train partners across the world in partnership with Dr. Catherine Crowley, a member of Smile Train’s Global Medical Advisory Board and founder of the Leaders Project at Teachers College at Columbia University in New York City.
Smile Train's Speech App
Smile Train has developed a free, interactive application (iOS and Android) for children with clefts to practice their speech on a smartphone or tablet. The app includes digital stories and games that target sounds children with clefts usually find challenging. It also has notes and video tutorials to help caregivers understand what is happening with their child’s speech and how to help them overcome their speech challenges. Try the app today!
Telehealth
Where available, Smile Train helps our partners provide general counseling, feeding and nutrition guidance, and/or speech services through platforms such as WhatsApp, Zoom, or Facebook. This is an extremely important means for families to receive tailored information and feel supported, even when they cannot physically visit a cleft team. Please reach out to partners in your region to learn which have these services available.