What is cleft lip and palate? What is glue ear? Patient stories Tests and procedures Consent

 

 

Speech and Language Therapy

Specialist speech and language therapists visit families at home when babies are about 4 months old to explain about how the palate works and the effect of a cleft on early babble and speech development.

 

Throughout early development we liaise closely with the rest of the team and community therapists. We are able to treat most mispronunciations resulting from the cleft with therapy.

 

Most speech problems are resolved by age 6 but tone of voice is monitored throughout the growing years. If children are unable to produce particular speech sounds by age 2-3 we refer to the palate investigation clinic.

 

 

Speech assesments

Speech therapists will get the patient to speak particular words and phrases which are carefully selected to make the palate move.

 

Speech assessments pay special attention to the way particular sounds are made using different parts of the mouth

 

Good speech involves the whole of the mouth and the nasal space, and the lips and tongue all play their part.

 

 

 

For example, to make sounds like b and p, the palate lifts up and the lips come together, whereas for sounds like m and n, the palate stays down.

 

The soft palate lifts to direct air through the mouth instead of through the nose. It lifts for most sounds: p b t d c g f v th s z sh ch j.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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