As a Speech and Language Therapist, my PhD research was driven by a passion to improve the lives of adolescents born with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) in Sri Lanka. While multidisciplinary care for these individuals exists, I observed that standardised assessments for speech, psychological wellbeing, and quality of life (QoL) were scarce. Recognising the profound impact CLP can have on communication, appearance, hearing, and emotional health, I aimed to bridge this gap by translating and validating two internationally recognized assessment tools – the Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS) and the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP) into Sinhala, the main language spoken in Sri Lanka.

Through this research, I successfully developed culturally appropriate and validated Sinhala versions of these tools, the ICS-SIN and COHIP-S. These assessments now enable Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) in Sri Lanka to measure speech intelligibility and QoL more accurately and meaningfully in adolescents with CLP. My work not only highlights the importance of incorporating QoL assessments into routine SLT practice but also underscores the value of culturally relevant research in enhancing care. I am deeply committed to continuing this line of work to explore how targeted SLT interventions can further improve communication outcomes, psychological wellbeing, and overall quality of life for individuals born with CLP.