Cleft Palate Speech: An Integration Of Research And Clinical Observation

Abstract

The authors suggest the following hypotheses concerning cleft palate speech. There is a critical point in the degree of closure of the nasal pharynx, which produces a characteristic balance between oral and nasal resonance. At least some of the cleft palate patient''s nasality results from a persistent habit of elevating the mandible and the dorsum of the tongue during speech. The amount of nasal emission in cleft palate speech is related principally to mandibular and lingual positions and movement and only secondarily to the amount of closure of the nasopharyngeal port. The same lingual and mandibular elevation is responsible for most of the cleft palate patient''s articulatory errors. An important part of the quality of cleft palate speech is the result of faulty phonation. Clinical material based on these hypotheses is outlined in detail.