Patterns of Articulation Abilities in Speakers With Cleft Palate

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to report the articulation scores of 351 subjects with cleft palate from the ages of 2—6 to 18e0. Analysis of the data indicate that, as a group, subjects with cleft palate are retarded in articulation skills. However, they continue to improve in this regard past the age at which normal speakers have achieved articulation maturation. This information should be compared with that acquired from other centers in order to determine how typical these findings are. 'I' here are considerable data in the literature about the articulation proficiency of individuals with cleft lip and palate, but more information is required. The primary purpose of this study is to present data acquired from a large number of patients managed in a generally consistent fashion and observed over an extended period of time (Krause, Tharp, and Morris, 1976). These data provide an overview of the general patterns of development and the status of articulation skills in individuals with clefts treated in one center. A second purpose is to describe performance on several different articulation tests for inter—test comparison. A third purpose is to provide information about performance of individuals with clefts on a test for which there are normative data.