Children with Cleft Lip and Palate: A Parents' Guide to Early Speech-Language Development and Treatment

Turn to this book for family-friendly guidance and support for young children with clefts -- cleft lip, cleft palate, and cleft lip and palate -- one of the most commonly occurring birth defects. Learn about: what clefts are; how they are repaired and when; feeding problems before and after surgery; dental issues; hearing & middle ear problems; your child's treatment team; your child's perspective; velopharyngeal inadequacy; speech-language skill building activities. A team of speech-language pathologists focuses especially on mitigating the speech and language problems experienced by children ages birth to five with cleft palate. Parents can use the book's dozens of practical, hands-on activities to improve their child's speech. For example, 'Bug Race!' uses a cotton ball or pom-pom -- add eyes and voilá, you have a bug! -- that the child moves by releasing pressure from behind the lips to stimulate oral airflow to produce the consonant /p/. Build valuable speech skills while you both have fun! Helpful strategies, illustrations of cleft repair procedures, photos of equipment, and recommended resources empower parents to get started on addressing speech and other developmental issues. Speech-language pathologists, early intervention specialists, and medical professionals will also want this book to recommend to the families they serve. The authors are professors of speech-language pathology who have spoken and published extensively on assessment and treatment of children with cleft lip and palate. They are also experienced clinicians who bring a wealth of experience to this book.