It’s not just speech: Association between intelligibility, language and communication skills in children born with cleft palate +/- lip

 The following paper was accepted for publication today. The paper was based on collaborative work undertaken during my Benjamin Meaker  Distinguished Professor Visiting Fellowship to University of Bristol, UK. Congratulations to Amy Davies who lead the paper.

Davies, A., Seifert, M., Southby, L., Harding, S., McLeod, S., & Wren, Y. (2026, in press August). It’s not just speech: Association between intelligibility, language and communication skills in children born with cleft palate +/- lip.  American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology.

Here is the abstract

Purpose: Children born with cleft palate, with or without cleft lip (CP+/-L), are more likely to demonstrate problems with intelligibility. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between language and communication skills and intelligibility in 3-year-old children born with CP+/-L using questionnaire data from mothers of 674 children in a longitudinal prospective cohort study. 

Method: A Kruskal-Wallis test was used to explore differences in intelligibility (Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS)) between categories of children’s language and communication skills (communication domain of the Ages and Stages-3 questionnaire (ASQ-3)). Associations were further explored using Tobit regression analyses adjusting for confounders cleft subtype, syndromic status, Robin sequence, biological sex, socio-economic status and child’s age.  

Results: The Kruskal-Wallis test showed strong evidence (χ2(2) = 131.7, p < .001) to suggest a difference in average ICS score between the three ASQ-3 categories of further assessment needed, monitoring needed and on schedule. The fully adjusted model suggested children who were categorised as needing to be monitored would score 0.69 points lower on the average ICS score compared to their peers who were “on schedule” (β= -0.69; 95%CIs= -0.98, -0.41; p < .001). Average ICS score was estimated to reduce by approximately 1.14 points for children needing further assessment compared to children who were on schedule (β= -1.14; 95%CIs= -1.36, -0.92; p < .001). 

Conclusions: Language and communication skills in children born with CP+/-L are associated with their intelligibility. Variability amongst individual children is likely. A multiple-risk model should be considered when planning interventions for children whose intelligibility is below expectations.

Intelligibility in 3- and 5-year-olds born with cleft lip and/or palate: Reference data on Intelligibility in Context Scale scores

The following paper has just been published. It was commenced during my Benjamin Meaker Visiting Distinguished Professorship at the University of Bristol.

Davies, A., McLeod, S. & Wren, Y. (2026). Intelligibility in 3- and 5-year-olds born with cleft lip and/or palate: Reference data on Intelligibility in Context Scale scores. The Cleft Palate Craniofacial Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/10556656261456526

Here is the abstract:

Objective
(a) Provide reference data for the Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS) for children born with cleft lip and/or palate and (b) compare ICS scores: between cleft types; with typically developing and normative samples; and across ages 3- and 5-year-old children.
Design
Longitudinal prospective cohort study.
Setting
Questionnaire data from the Cleft Collective.
Participants
Three-year-old (n = 928) and 5-year-old children (n = 795) born with cleft lip and/or palate.
Main Outcome Measure(s)
ICS – parent-reported measure using a 5-point Likert scale to indicate how intelligible their child is with seven different communication partners.
Results
Median scores for children born with cleft lip only were higher (4.14, 95% CI = 4.00–4.14 for 3-year-olds; 5.00, 95% CI = 4.29–5.00 for 5-year-olds) than those born with any form of cleft palate (3.71, 95% CI = 3.57–3.86 for 3-year-olds; 4.14, 95% CI = 4.14–4.29 for 5-year-olds). Scores for children born with cleft lip only aligned with studies comprising typically developing children and normative samples, whereas those born with any form of cleft palate did not. Children born with cleft palate and a diagnosed syndrome scored lower than those born with non-syndromic cleft palate. For children who had data at both ages, 75.4% showed improvement over time, 14.3% stayed the same and 10.3% scored lower at age 5.
Conclusion
Reference data are now available for children with the major cleft subtypes which can be used for comparison in clinical settings. These data show how children born with cleft compare with the non-cleft population and change over time.

Thank you Prof Yvonne Wren and Bristol Benjamin Meaker Visiting Distinguished Professor program

Thank you Professor Yvonne Wren and the Bristol Dental School who have sponsored my Bristol Benjamin Meaker Visiting Distinguished Professorship over the past 5 weeks. I have worked with Prof Yvonne Wren and her team to support their research, capacity building endeavours, and to write up research from the Cleft Collective Cohort. I have enjoyed learning from Yvonne and her teams and to contributing to the research and life of the University of Bristol. We have forged many new research agendas and I look forward to returning. It has been an inspirational and productive visit. 

 

Here is the summary of the outcomes from my visit

As Bristol Benjamin Meaker Visiting Distinguished Professor, Sharynne McLeod collaborated with colleagues in the Bristol Dental School, the Faculty of Health Sciences, and the wider University of Bristol community to advocate for communication for all, acknowledging the untapped potential of those who are underrepresented in society's conversations. Prof. McLeod was hosted by Prof. Yvonne Wren, who leads the Cleft Collective Cohort Study, a national longitudinal cohort study with over 11,000 participants from over 4000 families in the United Kingdom. The Cleft Collective uses the Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS), an outcome measure developed by Prof. McLeod and team, that is also recommended in the International Consortium of Health Outcome Measures (ICHOM) Set of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures for Cleft Lip & Palate. During this visit, Prof McLeod worked with the Cleft Collective team to generate reference data at ages 3 and 5 years and found significant differences based on cleft type and whether a syndrome was present. Despite being available in over 70 languages, this is the first time the ICS has been studied longitudinally. In addition to her well-received lectures, Prof. McLeod undertook capacity building workshops and mentoring to support students and staff across the wider University of Bristol community.

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/international-research-development/visiting-researchers/visitors-for-202324/sharynne_mcleod/

 

Here are Yvonne's current roles that I have participated in during my visit:

• Professor of Speech and Communication, University of Bristol
• Professor of Speech and Language Therapy, Cardiff Metropolitan University
• Director, Bristol Speech and Language Therapy Research Unit, North Bristol NHS Trust www.speech-therapy.org.uk
• Chief Investigator – Cleft@18-23, NIHR Programme Grant, Bristol Dental School, University of Bristol
• Chief Investigator - The Cleft Collective, Bristol Dental School, University of Bristol, www.cleftcollective.org.uk
• Chief Investigator - MISLToe-SSD, North Bristol NHS Trust, MISLToe SSD | North Bristol NHS Trust (nbt.nhs.uk)

I have provided the following lectures as part of the visit:

1. Open Lecture at Southmead Hospital: Communicating with Children and Families in a Multilingual World
https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/bristol-speech-language-therapy-research-unit/about-bsltru/bsltru-events
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/northbristolnhstrust/1140990
https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/2024/05/invited-lecture-all-children-should-be.html

2. Bristol Dental School seminar: Speech, Language and Communication: An Overview for Dentists
Recent evidence-based techniques will enable dentists to be better equipped to work with individuals with speech, language and communication needs including those with oral structural alterations (tongue tie and cleft palate)
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/international-research-development/diary/2024/dental-school-talk-by-professor-sharynne-mcleod.html  
https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/2024/04/invited-lecture-speech-language-and.html
 

3. Faculty of Health Sciences lecture: Multilingual Children’s Speech
Aimed at students and staff in the Faculty of Health Sciences. Presentation of the benefits of multilingualism and insights from an international research program into how monolingual professionals can successfully work with multilingual children and families.
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/international-research-development/diary/2024/health-sciences-talk-by-professor-sharynne-mcleod.html
https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/2024/05/university-of-bristol-health-sciences.html

 I also provided the following lectures and workshops:

4. Communicating with children and families in a multilingual world - Cardiff Metropolitan University Centre of Hearing, Language and Communication Research Lecture Series

5. Communication rights and social justice: Enhancing communicative participation for children with speech, language and communication needs - University of Cambridge Faculty of Education

6. Communication professionals need to advocate for communication rights and the Sustainable Development Goals  - Cylch Ieithyddiaeth/Bangor Linguistics Circle, Bangor University

7. Research wellness retreat - Cardiff Metropolitan University Centre of Hearing, Language and Communication Research Lecture Series

https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/2024/05/writing-research-papers-in-bristol.html

Thank you Bristol Speech and Language Therapy Research Unit (BSLTRU)

Thank you to the Bristol Speech and Language Therapy Research Unit (BSLTRU) https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/bristol-speech-language-therapy-research-unit/bsltru-research who have welcomed me, inspired me, and provided me with good coffees during my 5 week visit to Bristol. Today I was able to join the team meeting. The BSLTRU team include the following people:

• Prof Yvonne Wren (Director)
• Dr Samantha Harding
• Dr Sam Burr
• Dr Katherine Broomfield
• Caitlin Holme
• Dr Lucy Southby
• Charlotte McCarthy 
• Dr Rhonwen Lewis
• Shani Ackford
• Dominika Kruszynska

BSLTRU has been directed by Prof Pam Enderby, Prof Sue Roulstone, and Prof Karen Sage and I have been honoured to visit BSLTRU in 2010, 2013 and undertake projects with the team over many years.

Sam Burr, Kath Broomfield, Yvonne Wren, Dominika Kruszynska
(online Sam Harding, Caitlin Holme)

Here are some of the projects that they are working on at the moment:

• Cleft Collective - Cleft Speech & Language Study | North Bristol NHS Trust (nbt.nhs.uk);  Bristol Dental School | University of Bristol 
• MISLToe - MISLToe SSD | North Bristol NHS Trust
• Prosiect Pengwin - Prosiect Pengwin - Early Years Co-design Panel | Early Years Wales 
• Understanding the causal pathways for persistent speech sound disorder | North Bristol NHS Trus
• Investigating the impact of COVID 19 on language development in children born with cleft palate 
• The CHATTER study  | North Bristol NHS Trust
• Exploring access to SLT for stroke survivors who speak Welsh Exploring access to Speech and Language Therapy for Welsh speaking survivors of stroke | North Bristol NHS Trust
• Unspoken Voices project Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) | North Bristol NHS Trust
• Working closely with ALSPAC and have been involved in developing and using the speech and language data with international collaborators - https://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/

On my final day, they gave me a lovely gift listing women who changed the world.

University of Bristol Health Sciences Faculty invited lecture

My final presentation as Bristol Benjamin Meaker Visiting Distinguished Professor was held today https://www.bristol.ac.uk/international-research-development/diary/2024/health-sciences-talk-by-professor-sharynne-mcleod.html It was presented to University of Bristol Health Sciences Faculty. 

The title was: Multilingual Children’s Speech 

Here is the abstract: 

Many children and families are multilingual; whereas, many speech and language therapists in the UK (and other countries around the world) are monolingual English speakers. An evidence-based protocol has been developed for monolingual speech and language therapists to assess and analyse the speech of children who speak different languages. This protocol has been tested with Vietnamese-English children and adults during the VietSpeech Australian Research Council Discovery Grant. Free resources have been developed for working with Vietnamese children and families (https://www.csu.edu.au/research/vietspeech/info) as well as for speakers in over 100 languages on the Multilingual Children’s Speech website (https://www.csu.edu.au/research/multilingual-speech). Multilingualism has been described as a superpower (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBrXmRW7lwg) and this presentation will encourage attendees to support young superheros during their speech and language therapy.

Abhaya Vadlamudi was thanked for being a
multilingual superhero who speaks Telugu and English

Invited presentation to the Cylch Ieithyddiaeth/Bangor Linguistics Circle

I was honoured to be invited to speak to the staff and students at Bangor University https://www.bangor.ac.uk/ and the Cylch Ieithyddiaeth/Bangor Linguistics Circle. Thank you to Bethan Collins who organised the event and to the engaged students and staff who attended.

Here is the title of my presentation: Communication professionals need to advocate for communication rights and the Sustainable Development Goals

Here is the abstract:

Communication is a human right for all. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression… regardless of frontiers” (Article 19, United Nations, 1948). As communication professionals, we have the power to enhance everyone’s participation in day-to-day life, families, communities, and society. When we support everyone’s ability to communicate, we contribute to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the five pillars of the 2030 Agenda: people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships.

McLeod, S. (2018). Communication rights: Fundamental human rights for all. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2018.1428687

McLeod, S., & Marshall, J. (2023). Communication for all and the Sustainable Development Goals. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 25(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2022.2160494

Thank you Bethan Collins (PhD student) who organised the event

Some of the audience in Bangor and online

 

During my conversations I learned about Bangor University's commitment to sustainability and Prof Thora Tenbrink's work. She is Professor of Linguistics and Dean of Research at the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Bangor University:

• Director of the Places of Climate Change Research Centre at Bangor University https://www.bangor.ac.uk/plocc and Co-leading the PATCCh WISERD research network (Place-based Approaches To Climate Change)  https://wiserd.ac.uk/project/patcch-network/
  
• Involved in the Public Map Platform project, which gives children on the island of Anglesey a voice regarding their local place, expressed through various arts methods in addition to language (https://publicmap.org/en)
  
• Part of the Rural Wales Local Policy and Innovation Partnership which aims at co-creating solutions to local challenges through communication with rural communities https://www.arsyllfa.cymru/cymru-wledig-lpip-rural-wales-phase-two/
  

 

Finally, I love this message on emails from the university as it encourages multilingualism: 

"Mae croeso i chi gysylltu gyda'r Brifysgol yn Gymraeg neu Saesneg. Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn arwain at oedi. You are welcome to contact the University in Welsh or English. Corresponding in Welsh will not lead to delay."

Wonderful hosts in Bristol

I have enjoyed being hosted in Bristol by my friend and colleague Prof Yvonne Wren. She and her family have shown us around Bristol. We visited Bristol in 2010 and 2013 - and while many places are similar - there are new places and activities to discover and explore. Combining work and recreation is important when visiting universities around the world - because so much is learned while walking and talking and lifelong friendships are made.

Sunshine at the University of Bristol

Most of my time at the University of Bristol has had rain and grey skies. It is fascinating to see how the university transforms when the sun is shining. There are many gorgeous areas to sit and enjoy the nature within the boundaries of the university campus right in the middle of the city of Bristol. Even the squirrels love it. "No Mow May" makes it even more picturesque with all of the wildflowers everywhere.

Cleft Collective Cohort Study: Writing research papers in Bristol

My Benjamin Meaker Visiting Distinguished Professorship involves working with Prof Yvonne Wren and team at the University of Bristol Dental School on the Cleft Collective Cohort Study https://www.bristol.ac.uk/dental/cleft-collective/. We have already published one paper together on this work, and during my visit we have been working on more papers from the outstanding data they have collected with 3- and 5-year-old children with cleft lip and palate. 

Here is the paper we wrote earlier Seifert, M., Davies, A., Harding, S., McLeod, S., & Wren, Y. (2021). Intelligibility in 3-year-olds with cleft lip and/or palate using the Intelligibility in Context Scale: Findings from the Cleft Collective Cohort Study. The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, 58(9), 1178-1189. https://doi.org/10.1177/1055665620985747

It is a joy to work with Yvonne and Amy Davies, the outstanding statistician on the Cleft Collective team: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/dental/cleft-collective/meet-the-team/

Amy Davies the amazing statistician with the Cleft Collective

Cleft Collective bake sale

Amy Davies and Sharynne

Learning about tongue tie at University of Bristol

Prof Jenny Ingram has developed a number excellent and user-friendly scales for quantifying tongue tie to determine whether or not a child should have a tongue tie clipped to assist with breast feeding. I had a fascinating online meeting with her this week. Here are some of her excellent papers: 

Emond, A., Ingram, J., Johnson, D., Blair, P., Whitelaw, A., Copeland, M., & Sutcliffe, A. (2014). Randomised controlled trial of early frenotomy in breastfed infants with mild–moderate tongue-tie. Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 99(3), F189–F195. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2013-305031 

Ingram, J., Copeland, M., Johnson, D., & Emond, A. (2019). The development and evaluation of a picture tongue assessment tool for tongue-tie in breastfed babies (TABBY). International Breastfeeding Journal, 14(1), 31. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-019-0224-y 

Ingram, J., Johnson, D., Copeland, M., Churchill, C., Taylor, H., & Emond, A. (2015). The development of a tongue assessment tool to assist with tongue-tie identification. Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 100(4), F344-F349. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2014-307503

 

Invited lecture at BSLTRU: All Children Should be Seen AND Heard: The Importance of Communication so Children can Thrive

Yesterday I gave the Bristol Speech and Language Therapy Research Unit Annual Lecture at Southmead Hospital as part of my Benjamin Meaker Visiting Distinguished Professor program.

Title: All Children Should be Seen AND Heard: The Importance of Communication so Children can Thrive

Abstract: Communication is a human right for everyone – including children. Being an effective communicator is essential for children’s belonging, being, and becoming – and their ability to thrive. The United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights describes our right to freedom of opinion and expression and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas. This right is echoed in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This presentation will draw on extensive large-scale evidence regarding children’s communicative competence and capacity. Data from thousands of children within the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) will be supplemented with insights from children’s drawings and insights. The communicative competence of multilingual children and families will be celebrated. This presentation will conclude with a range of solutions for international, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral change to enable children to be seen AND heard so they can thrive.

 What a fabulous event - with people traveling from London, Worcestershire, Exeter and Cardiff to attend, including Steve Jamieson, CEO from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) and Emeritus Professor Sue Roulstone.

Steve Jamieson, CEO from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT)

 

Visiting the Bristol Speech and Language Therapy Research Unit

What a pleasure to visit the Bristol Speech and Language Therapy Research Unit (BSLTRU) again. I first visited in 2010, and again in 2013. BSLTRU was founded by Prof Pam Enderby, then has been led by Prof Sue Roulstone and now by Prof Yvonne Wren. I constantly quote work from the PhD students and staff from BSLTRU. I was honoured to present their annual lecture and am enjoying my collaborative conversations during my fellowship.

Famous PhD theses from BSLTRU: including Enderby, Roulstone, Wren ...

Visiting the University of Bristol

The University of Bristol in the UK reflects a very different time and place to Charles Sturt University in Australia. I have enjoyed my 5-week visit as the Bristol Benjamin Meaker Visiting Distinguished Professor. I have loved living in the midst of the city and the buildings of the university - and also traveling to the campuses and buildings associated with the university with Prof Yvonne Wren.

Sir Winston Churchill was a long-serving chancellor.

Invited lecture at Bristol Dental School: Speech, Language and Communication: An Overview for Dentists

Today, as part of my role as the Bristol Benjamin Meaker Visiting Distinguished Professor, I presented a guest lecture to the School of Dentistry titled "Speech, Language and Communication: An Overview for Dentists" https://www.bristol.ac.uk/international-research-development/diary/2024/dental-school-talk-by-professor-sharynne-mcleod.html. The lecture was held at the Bristol Dental School, Temple Quay Room

Here is the abstract: 

Most speech, language and communication is produced using the mouth. Dentists are frequently asked about the association between oral structures and communication. This presentation will describe how speech is produced using ultrasound and electropalatography images and will demonstrate the impact of oral structural alterations (e.g., tongue tie and cleft palate) on speech. Recent evidence-based techniques will be described to enable dentists to be better equipped to work with individuals with speech, language and communication needs.

Prof Sharynne McLeod and Prof Yvonne Wren

 

Benjamin Meaker Distinguished Professor Invited Presentations

I will the next five weeks at the University of Bristol as the Bristol Benjamin Meaker Visiting Distinguished Professor https://www.bristol.ac.uk/international-research-development/visiting-researchers/visitors-for-202324/sharynne_mcleod/ 

During my visit to the University of Bristol I will give the following presentations in this role as :

1. Open Lecture at Southmead Hospital: Communicating with Children and Families in a Multilingual World 

https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/2024/05/invited-lecture-all-children-should-be.html 

2. Departmental seminar: Speech, Language and Communication: An Overview for Dentists
Recent evidence-based techniques will enable dentists to be better equipped to work with individuals with speech, language and communication needs including those with oral structural alterations (tongue tie and cleft palate) 

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/international-research-development/diary/2024/dental-school-talk-by-professor-sharynne-mcleod.html 

https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/2024/04/invited-lecture-speech-language-and.html 

3. Faculty of Health Sciences lecture: Multilingual Children’s Speech.
Aimed at students and staff in the Faculty of Health Sciences. Presentation of the benefits of multilingualism and insights from an international research program into how monolingual professionals can successfully work with multilingual children and families.

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/international-research-development/diary/2024/health-sciences-talk-by-professor-sharynne-mcleod.html 

https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/2024/05/university-of-bristol-health-sciences.html

 

Bristol Benjamin Meaker Distinguished Visiting Professor

Today began my visit to the University of Bristol as the Bristol Benjamin Meaker Distinguished Visiting Professor (20 April - 26 May 2024). I am based in the Bristol Dental School with Professor Yvonne Wren: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/international-research-development/visiting-researchers/visitors-for-202324/sharynne_mcleod/

I am honoured to be working with Professor Yvonne Wren, PhD, MEd, BSc (Hons), FRCSLT

• Professor of Speech and Communication, University of Bristol
  
• Professor of Speech and Language Therapy, Cardiff Metropolitan University
• Director, Bristol Speech and Language Therapy Research Unit, North Bristol NHS Trust www.speech-therapy.org.uk
• Chief Investigator – Cleft@18-23, NIHR Programme Grant, Bristol Dental School, University of Bristol
• Chief Investigator - The Cleft Collective, Bristol Dental School, University of Bristol, www.cleftcollective.org.uk
• Chief Investigator - MISLToe-SSD, North Bristol NHS Trust, MISLToe SSD | North Bristol NHS Trust https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/bristol-speech-language-therapy-research-unit/bsltru-research/misltoe-ssd

Here is the project we are working on together:

Children born with cleft palate: Intelligibility and participation

Up to 1 million people in the UK have a communication disability which affects their ability to express themselves or to understand others. Our ability to communicate is impacted by our intelligibility and if we cannot make ourselves understood, then we will struggle to function in society. In particular, the impact on activities and participation, as defined by the World Health Organization can be significantly diminished, leading to social isolation and the potential for an impact on wellbeing and mental health, educational and occupational outcomes. Rarely will a clinician be aware of these difficulties as individuals can become quite adept at hiding their difficulties. Professor McLeod’s work has helped to draw attention to communication rights of all people with communication impairment and the difficulties that children with speech sound disorder in particular face in terms of everyday life as a child. Children born with cleft palate are at particular risk of communication disability as a consequence of problems with intelligibility. Using data from The Cleft Collective, the large-scale national cohort study of over 10,000 participants led by Dr Yvonne Wren at Bristol Dental School, Professor McLeod and Dr Wren will explore intelligibility in affected children using the Intelligibility in Context Scale. The Scale was developed by Professor McLeod and has now been translated in over 60 languages and is used worldwide. The outputs will provide unique reference data for children born with cleft, taking into account additional factors such as cleft subtype and syndromic status. Further analysis will enable us to determine the impact that differences in intelligibility in this population has on children’s levels of activity and participation. 

During her visit and through her planned talks, Prof McLeod will raise awareness of communication disability and highlight additional challenges and benefits when working with multilingual individuals. Professor McLeod is hosted by Dr Yvonne Wren from the Bristol Dental School. 

Lectures and seminars include: 

• Open Lecture "Communicating with Children and Families in a Multilingual World"
• Departmental seminar "Speech, Language and Communication: An Overview for Dentists"
• Faculty of Health Sciences lecture: "Multilingual Children’s Speech"

Accommodation at The Principal's House, University of Bristol

Prof Yvonne Wren and Prof Sharynne McLeod at Oakfield House, University of Bristol

Prof Sharynne McLeod and Prof Yvonne Wren celebrating our first day at Lido

Preparing to be the Bristol Benjamin Meaker Distinguished Visiting Professor

I am looking forward to being the Bristol Benjamin Meaker Distinguished Visiting Professor in April/May 2024. https://www.bristol.ac.uk/international-research-development/visiting-researchers/visitors-for-202324/sharynne_mcleod/

 

During my visit, I will be presenting a number of lectures in England and Wales, as well as undertaking collaborative research with colleagues at the University of Bristol including:

"...this year’s BSLTRU Underwood Trust Annual lecture is taking place on Tuesday 30th of April. We are thrilled to announce that our guest speaker this year is Professor Sharynne McLeod from Charles Sturt University, Australia who will be speaking on Communicating with Children and Families in a Multilingual World."

 

 

Bristol Benjamin Meaker Distinguished Visiting Professorship

I have just learned that I have been awarded a Bristol Benjamin Meaker Distinguished Visiting Professorship (BBMDVP) to visit the University of Bristol for 5 weeks in 2024. I will work with Dr Yvonne Wren and her team on a project titled "Children born with cleft palate: Intelligibility and participation". I had been awarded a BBMDVP in 2020, but had been unable to visit due to COVID-19 restrictions. I am looking forward to visiting in 2024. 

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/international-research-partnerships/visiting-researchers/

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/international-research-partnerships/visiting-researchers/visitors/

University of Bristol Benjamin Meaker Visiting Professorship

I was delighted to receive the University of Bristol Benjamin Meaker Visiting Professorship in 2019 for travel in 2020 – and at that time we had no idea what the following years would bring. Since 2020, I have been able to have a productive online relationship with Dr Wren and her team that has included: 

1. Keynote address to the Craniofacial Society of Great Britain and Ireland Virtual Conference 
2. Writing and publication of the following paper:
   Seifert, M., Davies, A., Harding, S., McLeod, S., & Wren, Y. (2021). Intelligibility in 3-year-olds with cleft lip and/or palate using the Intelligibility in Context Scale: Findings from the Cleft Collective Cohort Study. The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, https://doi.org/10.1177/1055665620985747 
3. Presentation of conference papers based on the paper above. 

Today I had to reliquish this Visiting Professorship as it had to be undertaken prior to the end of July 2022, which is not allowed within the current COVID-19 travel arrangements for Charles Sturt University. I look forward to the opportunity visit The University of Bristol and any opportunity to take up elements of the Benjamin Meaker Visiting Professorship in the future.

University of Bristol Benjamin Meaker Distinguished Visiting Professorship

In 2020 I was supposed to have undertaken a University of Bristol Benjamin Meaker Distinguished Visiting Professorship (BBMDVP); however, it was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

I was really pleased to be invited to attend a University of Bristol Festival of International Research and Partnerships event this evening titled: "Welcome and Introduction to the BBMDVP Showcase". The showcase was launched by Provost Judith Squires. The BBMDVP Showcase has a range of fascinating presentations demonstrating the richness and diversity of this award: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/international-research-partnerships/irp-festival/bristol-benjamin-meaker-distinguished-visiting-professorships-showcase/

I look forward to visiting the University of Bristol to take up my BBMDVP when I am able.