Cleft palate and speech problems

Cleft palate and speech problems

Do children with cleft palate have speech problems?

Yes, this is true that the children with cleft palate have speech problems. The reason behind this fact is that for the production of speech nasal cavity and mouth both are involved. In the cleft palate, the separation between the nasal cavity and mouth caused speech problems. So, we can say that cleft palate is very much responsible for the speech problems. Due to the cleft palate speech problems also takes place because of the ear infection. During feeding the milk directly passed through the Eustachian tube in the ear which can be caused the ear infection. The ear infection also caused speech problems because a person firstly hears then, learn to speak. Children with cleft palate cannot hear sounds because of ear infection or cannot articulate because of separation that why they cannot speak properly.

What speech problem might children palate cannot h with cleft palate have­?

There are two main problems which we can see in the children with cleft palate as following:

·         Articulation problem.

·         Velophyarengeal inadequacy.

·         Voice disorder.

Articulation problems are the difficulty in making certain sounds. The children with a cleft may face articulation problems because their articulators are not as much supporting as they are.so, children's speech develops more slowly than others.

In Velopharengeal inadequacy children cannot speak because their soft palate is distorted and the sound does not produce from the back of the tongue. This is the inability to close off the nasal cavity from the mouth.

Voice disorder is also very common in children with cleft palate. The voice may sound hoarse or breathy or may fatigue easily. This problem may cause by the strain on the vocal cords.

What can be done about speech problems?

Speech problems can be done with the help of speech therapy. Therapists can educate the child and parents on how to treat with speech abnormalities. Therapy focuses on all aspects regarding speech like speech delay, hypernasality, and an articulation disorder. The main theme of speech therapy is the consideration of developing good speech habits and the production of speech sound correctly.

There are different forms of therapies it depends upon the child’s severity of speech problems. If your cleft palate team decides that the speech therapy will not correct the speech problems, there are some other options. The child may require surgery of the palate. The surgeon and the therapist both work together to resolve the problems of the speech of a child.

What is the role of speech and language pathologists on a cleft palate team?

The role of speech and language pathologist is very much important on the team of cleft palate. Regular sessions with the therapist can rapidly create improvements in the speech of children with cleft palate. Through these sessions, the therapist can easily observe the child and can also educate him or her about speech production and language development. The therapist can also guide the caregivers about the feeding techniques which can be helpful in minimizing the feeding difficulties. Hearing problems can also be screen during sessions with a therapist.