A working group developed a system of universal parameters for reporting speech outcomes in individuals born with cleft palate. The system uses five parameters to evaluate hypernasality, hyponasality, nasal emission or turbulence, consonant errors, and voice disorders. It also includes global measures of understandability and acceptability. The universal parameters were adopted at a workshop to facilitate comparisons across treatment centers, though validity and reliability need further evaluation.

1. Reporting tests results
using universal
parameters

2.  A working group of six individuals experienced in speech and cleft
palate was formed to develop a system of universal parameters for
reporting speech outcomes in individuals born with cleft palate.
(2004)
 The system was adopted in conjunction with a workshop held in
Washington, D.C., that was devoted to developing the universal
system

3.  A universal system for reporting speech outcomes in individuals born
with cleft palate with or without cleft lip would be highly beneficial
in facilitating and enabling comparisons to be made across centers.
 A set of five universal speech parameters has been devised for the
reporting stage.
 These consist of (1) hypernasality, (2) hyponasality, (3) audible nasal
air emission and or nasal turbulence, (4) consonant production errors,
and (5) voice disorder.
 Also included are speech understandability and speech acceptability,
global parameters that can be reported for any type of speech
disorder.

5. Advantages
 provide a framework within which speech results can be reported in a
consistent and uniform manner.
 to convert highly detailed local evaluation data into a manageable and
understandable set of parameters for reporting purposes.

6. Limitations
 validity and reliability issues.