Speech Therapy Camp for Specific Aspects of the Treatment of Children with facial Anomalies

Association ALA organized and implemented the second Speech Therapy Camp for Specific Aspects of Treatment of Children with Facial Anomalies in Park-Hotel “Sankt Pererburg” – Plovdiv between 05-07.07.2013. The Camp was aiming at identifying speech therapists from all over the country who could take advantage of the possibility to become part of ALA’s Speech Therapy Network no matter if they are included in the Project for Co-financing the treatment of children with facial anomalies or not. Apart from practical and theoretical training, the course provided all participants with brad knowledge on the National Register. They were trained how to use the Panel for Speech Therapy which is already operational. This section of the Camp was facilitated by Petya Tzarvulanova and Dr. Parvan Voynov who used direct real-time connection online to the Register.

Speech therapists from many different Bulgarian cities (Plovdiv, Sofia, Varna, Stara Zagora, Burgas, Haskovo, Shumen, Yambol, Blagoevgrad and Dobrich) took part in the training. The participants in the training discussed the main theoretical approaches of cleft palate speech disorders. In the same time there practical sessions of diagnostics and therapy presented to the audience. The group for therapy demonstration was of 3 children with facial anomalies (cleft lip and palate) between 4 and 8 years old.

 In the training took part Zlatka Boteva, Dani Markova, Maria Kazakova and Nina Yordanova – experienced specialists in the speech therapy of children with facial anomalies. Different specialists – members of the multidisciplinary team in the Unit in Plovdiv, presented various aspects of the problem so that the speech therapists would receive more detailed picture of the situation. Prof. Anastassov made a presentation focused on the treatment of the facial anomalies and dr. Gyulev explained about the auditory problems that patients with facial anomalies have.

 Besides theoretical and practical training, the speech therapists were introduced the project for additional financing of speech therapy for children facial anomalies that Association ALA promotes for second year with the support of ECO. They were informed about the necessary documentation and the opportunities that participation in the project offered both for children and for their personal speech therapist.

 Dr. Velikova also took part in the training course by answering different questions about the orthodont treatment of children with facial anomalies and its effect on the speech therapy.