Exploring the Psychosocial Impact and Developing a Quality of Life Scale for Postpalatoplasty and Noncleft Patients With Functional Articulation Disorders.

This study was performed to develop and validate the quality of life scale for postpalatoplasty and noncleft FAD (Functional Articulation Disorder) patients and to survey their quality of life (QoL) status. A mixed-methods scale development process yielded a 20-item instrument. Psychometric properties were evaluated in 128 children (41 postpalatoplasty FAD, 87 noncleft FAD). Speech clarity was assessed in a subset (n=38). The scale demonstrated excellent reliability (Cronbach α=0.963) and validity. Postpalatoplasty FAD patients reported significantly poorer QoL than noncleft FAD patients, with a greater impact on females. Parent-child agreement was lower on social perception items. Objective speech clarity was negatively correlated with QoL scores (P<0.05). This valid scale fills an important assessment gap. Results confirm the substantial psychosocial burden of FAD, indicating a need for targeted psychosocial support alongside speech therapy.