LEARNING-DISABILITY, SCHOOL-ACHIEVEMENT, AND GRADE RETENTION AMONG CHILDREN WITH CLEFT - A 2-CENTER STUDY

Objective: This study examined the prevalence of learning disability ( LD), level of school achievement; and prevalence of grade retention by type of cleft and gender at two craniofacial centers. Setting: The se tting included two university-based craniofacial centers. Design/Patie nts: Participants included 84 consecutively evaluated patients from on e center who were matched by cleft type, age, and gender with 84 patie nts evaluated at the second center. Outcomes: The outcomes included le arning disability, school achievement, and grade retention. Results: T he results revealed that 46% of subjects with cleft had LD, 47% had de ficient educational progress, and 27% had repeated a grade (excluding kindergarten) in school. Males with cleft palate only (CPO) had a sign ificantly higher rate of LD than any other subject group. Males with C PO and females with cleft lip and palate (CLP) were more likely to rep eat a grade in school than were females with CPO and males with CLP. C onclusions: Children with cleft are at risk for learning disability, l ow school achievement, and grade retention.