Staff Profile

I qualified as a speech and language therapist (SLT) in 1999 and have been working in the field of Speech Sound Disorders for over 20 years. My specialist interest is in speech and language disorders related to cleft lip and palate and velopharyngeal dysfunction. I was the lead SLT at the regional cleft lip and palate service in Newcastle for 14 years. More recently I have completed a PhD in the language and listening skills of children with cleft palate +/- lip and have now taken up the role of lecturer in speech and language sciences at Newcastle University.

My research interest lies in the field of cleft lip and palate and disorders of speech and language related to this and velopharyngeal dysfunction. My PhD investigated the relationship of language and listening skills to speech outcomes in children with cleft lip and palate. During my years as a clinical SLT I was involved in service evaluation and national audit related to cleft lip and palate services. I have been involved with an international randomized control trial (The Timing of Primary Surgery); have collaborated with the Cleft Collective, a large national cohort study, on a number of projects; and support early career researchers and others interested in the field of cleft lip and palate through my involvement with the Early Career Researchers Group (ECRG) and the Clinical Studies Group (CSG) in cleft palate and craniofacial anomalies.

My current research projects include the Cleft@18-23 study and the Understanding Language Outcomes in Cleft (UnLOC) study.

The Cleft@18-23 is a national research programme which will investigate outcomes at the end of routine care for young adults born with a cleft of the lip or palate or both. I am lead for Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) and join work package lead for the research clinics. More information can be found here Cleft@18-23 study | Bristol Dental School | University of Bristol.

The UnLOC study is a series of projects which aim to further our understanding of the prevalence and impact of language difficulties in people born with cleft lip and palate. This includes looking at complex language skills, the impact of sleep quality on speech and language outcomes in this population and long term consequences of language difficulties.

• Articles

  • Butterworth S, Fitzsimons KJ, Britton L, Van Eeden S, Medina J, van der Meulen J, Russell CJH. Investigating the Impact of Additional Congenital Malformations on Speech Outcomes at age Five in Children with a Cleft Palate. Cleft Palate Craniofacial Journal 2024, epub ahead of print.
  • Fell M, Phippen G, van Eeden S, Chong D, Swan MC, van Eeden S, Carlin JB. Analysis and Reporting of Randomized Trials in Cleft Palate Surgery: Learning from the Timing of Primary Surgery (TOPS) Trial. Cleft Palate Craniofacial Journal 2024, epub ahead of print.
  • Gamble C, Persson C, Willadsen E, Albery L, Soegaard Andersen H, Zattoni Antoneli M, Appelqvist M, Aukner R, Bodling P, Bowden M, Brunnegard K, Cairns G, Calladine S, Campbell L, Clayton-Smith J, Cooper R, Conroy E, El-Angbawi A, Kildegaard Emborg B, Enfalt Wikman J, Fitzpatrick B, Fukushiro AP, Guedes de Azevedo Bento Goncalves C, Havstam C, Hvistendahl AK, Jorgensen LD, Klinto K, Berntsen Kvinnsland M, Larham C, Lemvik J, Leturgie L, Liljerehn E, Lodge N, Lohmander A, McMahon S, Mehendale F, Miguel HC, Moe M, Nielsen JB, Nyberg J, Pedersen N-H, Phippen G, Alvarez Piazentin-Penna SH, Patrick K, Pliskin L, Rigby L, Semb G, Southby L, Sporre M, Bjorkman Taleman A-S, Tangstad J, Trindade IEK, Underwood I, van Eeden S, Westberg LR, Williamson PR, Paciello Yamashita R, Munro K, Walsh T, Shaw W. Timing of Primary Surgery for Cleft Palate. New England Journal of Medicine 2023, 389(9), 795-807.
  • Butterworth S, Fitzsimons KJ, Medina J, Britton L, Van Eeden S, Wahedally H, Park MH, van Der Muelen J, Russell CJH. Investigating the Impact of Patient-Related Factors on Speech Outcomes at 5 Years of Age in Children With a Cleft Palate. Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal 2023, 60(12), 1578-1590.
  • van Eeden S, Wren Y, McKean C, Stringer H. Early Communication Behaviors in Infants With Cleft Palate With and Without Robin Sequence: A Preliminary Study. The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal 2022, 59(8), 984-994.
  • Baker J, van Eeden S, Stringer H. Early speech and language outcomes in non-syndromic cleft palate with and without Robin Sequence: A matched case study. Annual Review of Education, Communication, and Language Sciences 2021, Special Issue, 5-19.
  • Butterworth S, Rivers C, Fullarton M, Murphy C, Beale V, Neil-Dwyer J, Van Eeden S, Van Eeden S, Hodgkinson PD, Smyth A, Sainsbury DC. A Closer Look at Delayed Primary Cleft Surgery and Unrepaired Cleft Lip and/or Palate in 5 UK Cleft Centers. Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal 2021, 59(6), 724-731.

• Reviews

  • Van Eeden S. The relationship between auditory behaviours and speech and language development in children with cleft lip and palate. Current Opinion in Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery 2023, 31(3), 165-170.
  • van Eeden S, Stringer H. Linguistic and auditory processing skills in non-syndromic children with cleft palate: A scoping review. Journal of Communication Disorders 2020, 87, 106029.