Videoendoscopic feedback in training velopharyngeal closure

Each of two adolescents with velopharyngeal closure deficits was taught to position him or herself on an endoscope attached to a television camera and to observe the velopharyngeal port during the production of syllables and other units. The videoendoscope was then used as a training apparatus, and each subject was given practice attempting to increase velopharyngeal closure while producing vowels and syllables. Videorecordings of each subject made without feedback before, during, and after the training period were played to panels of observers who were to rate closure during each utterance, and the data obtained indicated that the subjects more frequently approximated complete closure as the study progressed but improved performance was not established on an automatic level. Suggestions are made for the refinement and further investigation of videoendoscopic closure training.