Hypernasality is when the acoustic energy required for speech escapes into the nose in sounds that should come out of the mouth and disrupts the resonance of speech. Since hypernasality often accompanies cleft palate, it can cause a number of articulation problems. Some of these problems can be corrected with speech therapy and are processes that the child develops to compensate for the palate deformity, while others are compulsory disorders based on structural problems (such as hypernasality or dental/jaw anomalies). During the evaluation, the speech therapist should determine which of these disorders are compulsory and which are compensatory processes, and refer them to doctors or orthodontists for structural disorders, and initiate speech therapy for compensatory processes.
What are Compensatory Speech Processes?
Compensatory speech processes specific to cleft palate are conditions in which the sounds expected to come out of the mouth are not produced correctly. These processes usually occur as a result of structural defects and affect the intelligibility of speech. For example, articulation, in which front sounds such as /t/ and /d/ are transformed into back sounds such as /k/ and /g/, is common in individuals with cleft palate. This is a process that the child develops to compensate for the palatal deformity.
Identifying and managing compensatory speech processes is the task of the speech and language therapist. The therapist determines which of these processes are compensatory and which are due to structural disorders and creates the appropriate treatment plan. Speech therapy should be used for compensatory processes, while structural disorders should be treated in collaboration with doctors or orthodontists.
How is speech therapy applied in cleft lip and palate?
The success of speech therapy depends on the success achieved through teamwork. Plastic surgeon, otorhinolaryngologist, genetics, pediatric neurologist, speech therapist, orthodontist, audiologist, psychologist, social worker are all part of this team. This teamwork is very important for the child with cleft palate to form a positive perspective about himself/herself.
What are Speech Fluency Disorders?
In the Speech Fluency Disorders unit, evaluation, counseling and therapy services are provided to individuals of all ages who have speech fluency problems. Fluency disorders are one of the most common types of speech and language disorders. According to the classification of the American Hearing and Speech Association (ASHA), it is analyzed under two headings as developmental and acquired. Acquired disorders are psychogenic and neurogenic fluency disorders, which have the lowest incidence.
disorders. For this reason, research and therapies have focused on developmental stuttering and rapid-cluttering speech.
What is Cluttering?
Today, research continues on cluttering, which is briefly defined as abnormally fast and disorganized speech. Cluttering is a speech fluency disorder like stuttering, but it is different from stuttering. It is a speech disorder that is excessively fast, disorganized, and often contains irrelevant words or expressions.
Rapid-disordered speech also involves excessive disruptions in the normal flow of speech and may be accompanied by excessively fast speech, irregular pacing, incorrect/incomplete vocalization, and uncertainty about what to say. Currently, therapies for rapid-disordered speech (with techniques used in stuttering therapy) are used to slow speech, reduce disfluencies, and increase awareness and language organization.
The causes of rapid-disordered speech are explained in the same way as the causes of stuttering, and the incidence has not yet been clearly established.