ACQUISITION OF LINGUISTIC AND COGNITIVE SKILLS BY CHILDREN WITH CLEFT-PALATE

This study compared the early cognitive and linguistic development of young children with cleft palate (N = 28) to that of noncleft children (N = 29). Measures included the Mental scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, the Minnesota Child Development inventory Mean Len gth of Utterance, and words acquired by 24 months. Children with cleft palate, although well within the normal range, performed significantl y below the children in the control group an the Mental Scale of the B ayley Scales of infant Development, some subscales of the Minnesota Ch ild Development inventory, and words acquired by 24 months, Difference s observed in the cognitive development of children with and without c left palate were verbal as opposed to nonverbal (i.e., linguistic in n ature) and were related to hearing status at 12 months and velopharyng eal adequacy.