What is the speech pathologists role on the cleft palate team?
The speech pathologist will offer family education, family training, evaluations and treatment for feeding, swallowing, language, speech, oral motor, resonance and voice issues associated with cleft lip and palate and craniofacial disorders.
What speech therapy services can I expect for my child?
Initial feeding training is offered by the Cleft Lip and Palate Team nurse. If your child demonstrates difficulty with feeding or swallowing, you will be referred for a feeding evaluation as soon as this is identified.
When your child is 6-9 months the speech therapist will meet with you to discuss speech and language development in children born with cleft palate. At that time, speech and language stimulation activities will be discussed.
A baseline speech and language evaluation will be completed when your child is 18-months. Intervention may begin prior to 18-months if your child demonstrates “red flag” behaviors. The following behaviors would indicate that your child should receive a speech evaluation before 18-months: - No verbalizations by the age of 14-months - Limited consonant productions during babbling and sound play - Sounds being forced through the nasal cavity, “nasal snorting”, during consonant productions -Difficulty following simple directions by the age of 12-months
*If you have concerns with your child’s speech and language development, contact the Craniofacial Center to schedule an appointment at any age.
Following your baseline evaluation, speech therapy services may or may not be recommended. If speech services are NOT recommended, you will receive follow-up speech screenings 1-2x/year until your child is at least 7-years of age. If speech services are recommended the team therapist and the team social worker will work in conjunction to set up speech services for your child.
As your child grows older, the focus of the speech screening moves from evaluating your child’s speech and language development to evaluating your child for hypernasal speech. If your child demonstrates hypernasal speech during a speech evaluation, he/she may be referred for a nasopharyngoscopy to evaluate velopharyngeal closure. This study will determine if your child’s palate is able to achieve complete closure during speech or if there is a consistent opening in the velopharynx during speech. This will let the team know if more speech therapy is indicated or if surgical management is necessary to improve your child’s quality of speech.
Where will my child obtain speech therapy services?
Patients associated with the Central Texas Cleft Lip and Palate Team will receive initial evaluations, annual screenings, pre-operative evaluations and post-operative evaluations by the team therapist. Speech therapy is also offered through the Cleft Lip and Palate Team. If your child is unable to receive speech therapy with the team therapist, the team therapist will wok in conjunction with the team social worker to establish the best available treatment options for you and your child. Therapy can be received through ECI, the school district and/or outside treatment centers.
What is the team therapist role in my child’s care if therapy is obtained at an outside facility?
The child will be evaluated annually by the team therapist. This allows the team therapist to offer treatment recommendations that are appropriate for you child’s deficit. The team therapist has a unique understanding of disorders related to cleft palate and/or craniofacial anomalies and is a valuable resource to other speech therapist’s in the community. With the family’s permission, this therapist will actively communicate with your primary therapist to discuss plan of care, goals and progress.
Who can I contact regarding speech, language, feeding and swallowing concerns?
The current Central Texas Celt Lip and Palate Team speech pathologist, Ashley Bush, M.S., CCC-SLP at 324-9999 Ext. 87126.