Language is unique to human being. We use language as a tool to communicate and make friends. We also use language to learn and become a complete self.

We all want our children with cleft lip and/or palate to posses the power of language. First we need to know what the language is, and the risk factors awaiting and the preventative measures and facilitating techniques.

I. Speech and Language Development in Children
Cleft Children might be able to develop normal speech and language . To have normal speech and language , he/she can clearly enunciate his/her needs, feelings, emotion and describe and comment on events . To have normal speech and language, he/she can correctly follow directions and understand other’s descriptions etc. However, to develop normal speech and language, he/she needs to meet some criteria: functional to normal hearing, functional velopnharyngeal function, functional to normal intelligence, and enriched environment. The first two are the biological risk factors mostly fixed by the medical staffs while the last is in the caregiver’s control.

II. Risk Factors and facilitating techniques
Speech and language Disorder
Cleft children are at high risk for communication disorders due to inadequate velopharyngeal function and poor hearing acuity.：Both affect speech in terms of articulation while the latter affects language learning as well.

Written by Ruby Wang