ASSESSMENT OF SPEECH IN CHILDREN AFTER REPAIR OF ISOLATED CLEFT-PALATE

The speech of 31 consecutive patients with isolated cleft palate was e valuated when they were between 10 and 14 years of age. All the childr en had Wardill-Kilner push-back repairs at a mean age of 7.9 months. S everal speech variables were assessed by two trained listeners. In add ition, an overall evaluation of the quality of the patients' speech wa s made by the listeners and by the patients themselves. The patients h ad some remaining speech problems, mainly hypernasality which was mode rate or severe in 7 (23%). The prevalence of compensatory articulation s was low, however (n = 4, 13%), and most patients thought that their own speech was normal or relatively normal.