Studies of Dysmophogenesis in Children with Oral Clefts: 1. Relationship Between Clinical Findings and School Performance

Abstract

in children with oral clefts, the risk of additional abnormalities is increased (1). These may take the form of minor developmental deviations (variant morphogenesis), a second major malformation, or neuro-logic dysfunction. Impaired school performance is also a problem in a significant proportion of children with oral clefts (2, 3). In many cases the school difficulties can be related to specific handicaps (such as speech or hearing problems or emotional disturbance) that may be secondary to the oral cleft, or to the handicap imposed by a second major malformation or a neurologic abnormality. In other cases, however, no specific handicapping condition is evident to account for school difficulties. A clinical impression had been gained that school difficulties were more prevalent in the children who exhibited additional minor dysmorphoge-netic features than in those who lacked such features; but it was not clear Whether the apparent association was the result of an increased prevalence of specific school—handicapping conditions in the children with such features. In an effort to clarify the relationship between clinical abnormali— ties, specific handicapping conditions, and school performance, a series of children with oral clefts were studied.