When the soft palate does not move enough because of a cleft palate or for unknown reasons, this can lead to a speech difference called velopharyngeal insufficiency. The purpose of this research study is to test if soft palate exercises using a hand help breathing device will help improve the ability of the soft palate to close the area between the throat and nose and help improve speech.
Pittsburgh weighted speech scores of 5 or greater
Ages 5-17 years
CAPS-A-AM hypernasality score <2
Previous speech surgery (e.g. palatoplasty or pharyngeal flap)
Speech surgery scheduled within the next 56 days
Unable or unwilling to perform the tests and exercises outlined in the study
Noel Jabbour
Lead sponsor
University of Pittsburgh
Sponsor institution
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Collaborator