What speech problems might children with clefts have?
Before the palate is repaired, there is no separation between the nasal cavity and the mouth. This means that a) the child cannot build up air pressure in the mouth because air escapes out of the nose, and b) there is less tissue on the roof of the mouth for the tongue to touch. Both of these problems can make it difficult for the child to learn how to make some sounds. It is not unusual for a child who is born with a cleft palate to show a delay in both the onset of speech and the development of speech sounds during the first 9-24 months of age. Once the palate has been repaired, your child may be able to learn more consonant sounds and say more words, but speech may still be delayed during the early years. Articulation problems (difficulties in making certain sounds) may persist in some children throughout early childhood for a variety of reasons. If your child’s teeth do not “line up” correctly, speech may be understandable, but some sounds (like “s” or “sh”) may sound distorted or
