Cleft palate. Intervention

Results of recent investigations (O'Gara and Logemann, 1990; Estrem and Broen, 1989) indicate that the presence of an unrepaired cleft will influence a toddler's early phonologic development and lexical selectivity. Although additional information is needed to characterize the early vocalizations of children with cleft palate, the available findings underscore the need for early, aggressive speech-language intervention. The education and assistance in language stimulation provided to parents during a child's first year of life can minimize the deleterious effects of an unrepaired palate. Treatment for older children and adults with borderline VPI continues to pose management problems for the SLP. Although new palatal training strategies and tools have been developed and employed with some success, efficacy studies are needed to identify those patients who are likely to benefit from behavioral intervention and those who ultimately will require surgical management.