PURPOSE: to compare subjects with cleft palate who underwent surgical correction at different ages and determine which factors are most important in the speech alterations METHODS: the sample is composed of 29 subjects who were born with cleft palate and were submitted to surgical correction at different ages, without no other associated commitments(neurological, physical, psychological, etc.). These patients, 13 of masculine gender, and 16 of the feminine gender have ages varying from six to thirteen year old. The patients are of the clinic of Speech Therapy and the clinic of Plastic Surgery of the São Paulo Hospital that had still not entered in speech therapy. The speech, these patients were evaluated by test Phonology (Chapter 1 of ABFW, Test Language Playground) and were examined by nominating the speech of the subjects. The appointment was made through simple figures, which were shown to them. RESULTS: the results of this study regarding gender and type of cleft in the sample showed no statistically significant differences. Meanwhile, the late time when the restorative surgery occurred interferes in a negative way in the speech of these patients. CONCLUSIONS: based on the results obtained from the analysis of speech in subjects with cleft palate, we can conclude that one intervening factor important for their speech is the age in which the surgery had been carried through.
Cleft Palate; Surgery; Speech; Child Development; Speech Disorders
