Articulation therapy for children with cleft palate using visual articulatory models and ultrasound biofeedback

Abstract

Visual biofeedback tools, such as Electropalatography (EPG), are recommended for assessing and treating speech sound disorders (SSDs) associated with Cleft Palate (CP). However, EPG is not suitable for all clients, due to dependencies on stable dentition and timing of palatal repair. Ultrasound is becoming increasingly popular for its use in treating SSDs, with no reports on its dependency on structure of the vocal tract. However its clinical application in the CP population remains to be tested. We compared Visual Articulatory Models (VAMs) with Ultrasound for the treatment of SSDs in two children with repaired submucous CP. Both children received two blocks of therapy each with eight sessions, with the first block using VAMs and the second using ultrasound. Results showed that both children improved overall, with more improvement found in the first block of therapy using VAMs.