Cleft palate in some cultures is akin to a death sentence, with children born with this abnormality sometimes experiencing ostracism, abuse, and neglect. However, with increasing global awareness and efforts to improve the lives of impoverished children born with cleft palate, there are numerous treatments and therapies available. In most countries, there are many therapies available to children born with cleft palate, though the quality and care level varies dramatically. In developed nations, children are fortunate to have a choice of treatments and, therefore, a choice of potential outcomes.
Cleft Palate Outcomes Depend on Surgical Intervention
With Surgical Repair: Children with cleft palate face on average 18 years of therapy from an entire team of medical specialists, including plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists (ear, nose, and throat), oral surgeons, orthodontists, dentists, prosthodontists (dental artifists), speech pathologists, speech therapists, audiologists, nurse coordinators (to oversee total treatment), social workers, psychologists (for family and child support), and geneticists (to assess risks of further procreation). (Grayson, 2003) Some kids require bone grafts in addition to the soft-tissue surgery to bridge the palatal fissure, and many need ear tubes to prevent fluid from forming on the middle ear.
The outlook for these children is hopeful: Most can go on to have normal appearance and normal speech when they are treated comprehensively with careful monitoring throughout the rest of their lives. Team treatment like the aforementioned is commonplace in the U.S., with more than 200 such teams currently operating in the 50 states. (Witt, 2006) With the physical ailment repaired and the auditory function monitored and treated, these children have been very capable of compensating for their disadvantages over time and reaching the same level of vocal development as their peers. So while their educational experience may have them categorized as a language disorder special need, with the proper health care, therapy, and educational support, these children have a strong chance of overcoming the language disorder and shedding the need for ongoing intervention and care once they reach early adulthood.
Without Surgical Repair: Children with unrepaired clefts face many obstacles to normal vocal development and will probably never command normal articulation. Even as early as 9 months of age, infants with unrepaired clefts lag far behind their peers in canonical babbling. Just 57% of babies with cleft palate reach the canonical babbling stage on time, as compared with 93% of their peers at 9 months. (Chapman, 2001) While there are physical remedies to help these children, such as dental inserts to help with feeding and breathing problems, these children face a lifetime of distorted speech because they are physically unable to articulate sounds in the typical way and because diminished auditory capability prevents them from properly hearing the sounds in the first place. The outlook for these children is troubling from a variety of perspectives. A child who does not receive the needed physical and therapeutic interventions will almost certainly not spontaneously overcome the vocal distortion and will live with language disorder disability for life.
Children with Cleft Palate Can Lead Normal Lives
In the case of cleft lip and cleft palate, physical intervention is a simple, widely successful operation that can truly alter a child’s life experience. The benefits to surgical intervention are numerous, and in many cases may offer a relatively simple surgical correction that allows the child to articulate sounds normally. Children who do not undergo the surgical correction will likely not only face the struggle of hearing and speaking disabilities, but also negative cultural and social responses. Cleft palate by some standards may appear difficult to overcome, but medical and therapeutic intervention offers the children who experience it a chance for normalcy.
Sources:
Chapman, K., et al. (January, 2001). "Vocal Development of 9-Month-Old Babies With Cleft Palate."Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 44(6), 1268.
Fromkin, V., et al. An Introduction to Language, Seventh Edition. 2003. Heinle: Boston.
Grayson, C. (September, 2003). "Cleft Palate and Cleft Lip." The Cleveland Clinic. p. 1-5.
Molmenti, H. (December, 2002). "Cleft Lip and Palate."
Rvachew, S., et al. (June 2005). "Vocal development of infants with very low birth weight. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 19(4), p.275-294.
Turnbull, A., et al. Exceptional Lives: Special Education in Today’s Schools, Sixth Edition. 2007. Merrill: Columbus.
Witt, P. (April, 2006). "Craniofacial, Cleft Palate." EMedicine. p. 1-9.
Jennifer Hooks - Jennifer Hooks has written articles for both national and international markets. She writes on topics including leadership, creative ...
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