Language Proficiency in Children with Cleft Palate

Children with cleft palate (CCP) are at risk for a wide range of speech disorders that commonly includes hypernasality, nasal emission and/or articulation errors such as compensatory articulation (CA). Hypernasality is the excessive nasal resonance and can be noted during the production of consonants and even vowels; nasal emission is escape of air through the nose related to velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). Other cause for nasal emission can be an oronasal fistula that allows communication between the nasal and oral cavities. As these speech disorders are caused by an anatomical deficiency treatment has to be physical manipulation and cannot be treated in speech therapy [1]. In contrast, articulation errors should be treated in speech therapy.