Children with cleft lip/palate commonly make which type of error?

Children with cleft lip and palate often experience speech sound errors that are closely linked to the anatomical and functional challenges posed by their condition. One common error type that these children exhibit is the production of pharyngeal fricatives. This occurs because the velopharyngeal mechanism, which is responsible for closing off the nasal passages during the production of oral sounds, may not function effectively due to the structural abnormalities.

When children with cleft lip and palate attempt to produce certain sounds that require complete oral closure, such as /s/ or /t/, they may compensate by using their throat (pharynx) instead. Instead of the expected oral sounds, they might produce fricative sounds that come from the pharyngeal area, leading to speech that can be atypical in quality. This compensatory strategy is a direct response to the difficulty they face in achieving the necessary closure needed for normal articulation.

Understanding the nature of these errors helps speech-language pathologists tailor their interventions to address the specific needs of children with cleft lip and palate, focusing on improving their ability to produce sounds correctly through targeted exercises and techniques.