Gestural communication in twelve-month-old cleft lip and palate children

Gestural communication skills of ten normal and ten cleft lip and palate one-year-old children were investigated using a system derived from the work of Bates et al. (1977). All subjects were matched with respect to sex, race, age, socio-economic status, hearing acuity, and language spoken in the home. Videotapes were made while the children and their mothers engaged in play activities. Analysis of these one-hour interactions yielded no significant differences between the two groups on measures of gestural communication. It would appear that, although the cleft palate child may experience later language disturbances, the nonverbal communicative intent or the awareness of the need to communicate has been well established in these children by one year of age. Consequently, intervention strategies might be more appropriately aimed at the development of oral skills necessary for later verbal communication.