Analysis of speech characteristics in children with velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) and children with phenotypic overlap without VCFS

Objective: To address two questions of theoretical importance regarding the profile and course of communication impairment associated with velocardiof acial syndrome (VCFS): (1) do speech characteristics of children with VCFS differ from a group of children with some of the phenotypic characteristics of VCFS who do not have the syndrome, and (2) do younger children with VCF S demonstrate speech patterns that differ from older children with VCFS? Design: Prospective, cross-sectional study comparing two groups of children at two age levels. Patients: Thirteen children with VCFS and eight children with some of the p henotypic features of VCFS who did not have the syndrome. Children ranged i n age from 3 to 10 years. Main Outcome Measure: (1) Broad phonetic transcription of speech yielding m easures of number of consonant types, Percent Consonant Correct, and percen tage of glottal stops used; and (2) composite ratings of velopharyngeal fun ction made from perceptual, aerodynamic, and endoscopic evaluations. Results: Younger children with VCFS demonstrated greater speech impairment than older children with VCFS or the children without VCFS, such as smaller consonant inventories, greater number of developmental errors, greater sev erity of articulation disorder, and higher frequency of glottal stop use. T he relationship between ratings of velopharyngeal function and the speech v ariables analyzed was not straightforward. Conclusions: Some young children with VCFS demonstrated speech impairment t hat is qualitatively and quantitatively different from older children with VCFS or children without VCFS. This finding supports the hypothesis that so me children with VCFS demonstrate a profile of speech production that is di fferent from normal but also may be specific to the syndrome.