Articulation Development in Children with Cleft Lip/ Palate

Abstract

This longitudinal study analyzed the articulation development of 108 children with cleft lip/palate from three through eight years of age. The data suggest that as the severity of clefting increases the severity of the articulation deficit does also. Age and type of cleft were statistically significant factors in the development of normal articulation skills. Children with cleft lip appeared to be a homogeneous speaking group characterized by normal articulation development. However, children with palatal clefts remained at a heterogeneous group with regard to their articulation test performance through eight years of age. Future comparisons of articulatory proficient and articulatory deficient cleft palate children may shed light in morphological and other reasons for the articulation deficiency in some children. The adequacy of articulation skills of cleft lip/palate children reflects, in part, the success of management by the surgeon, dental specialist and speech pathologist. Because of this importance, articulation proficiency continues to be a topic of interest and study. Despite frequent and increasingly detailed study of articulation development of cleft children (Van Demark et al., 1979), questions remain regarding the effects of age and cleft type on articulation skill development.