Do children with cleft palate have speech problems?
It is common for children who are born with a cleft palate to have speech problems at some time in their lives. Over half of them will require speech therapy at some point during childhood. However, many children who are born with a cleft palate develop normal speech by the age of 5. Regular evaluations by the speech-language pathologist on your child’s cleft team will help you decide if speech therapy services or other types of interventions are needed. The speech-language pathologist will be able to assess your child’s speech production and language development and make appropriate therapy recommendations. It is also extremely important for your child’s ears and hearing to be examined on a regular basis, whether you suspect a problem or not. Children with cleft palate are more susceptible to ear infections (otitis media) than children without clefts. Children with many ear infections are at risk for hearing loss, language delays, and speech problems because they are not able to hear
