Therapy Techniques for Cleft Palate Speech and Related Disorders [Paperback]

Karen Golding Kushner (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 076930169X | ISBN-13: 978-0769301693 | Publication Date: November 10, 2000 | Edition: 1

In addition to a solid foundation on the anatomy, physiology, and surgical management of cleft palate, students need a hands-on clinical manual that gives proven techniques for managing the speech and voice disorders that result from this congenital condition. Therapy Techniques for Cleft Palate Speech and Related disorders gets straight to the point by identifying compensatory articulation patterns and providing step-by-step guidelines for their prevention and elimination. Learn the foundational material and gain an understanding of clinical management of cleft palate speech.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Singular; 1 edition (November 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076930169X
• ISBN-13: 978-0769301693
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #365,127 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MOM of a 4-month old baby with cleft of the soft palate, August 27, 2005

By 

Meredith Parker "Meredith Parker" (Lake Mary, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Therapy Techniques for Cleft Palate Speech and Related Disorders (Paperback)

I'm a Mom of a 4-month old baby with a cleft. I also have a M.S. in speech-pathology. (What are the odds?) :) I found this book to be really helpful, because while I attended one of the leading institutions for graduate school, we only had 1 class on Craniofacial Disorders, most of which focused on diagnosis and not on how to do therapy with people with cleft. If you're a therapist reading this review, then you'll appreciate this book for the easy-to-recognize discussion of all aspects of speech, how articulation and VPI both may be affected with the presence of cleft (many folks think it's just hypernasality and nasal emission, when actually artic can become a big factor). This is just one example. The book highlights the importance of early intervention, even when surgery to correct the cleft hasn't been done, citing the importance of learning appropriate behaviors for speech, even in the absence of "normal" anatomy. (Therapy after surgery, then, can be much more successful, and kiddos aren't learning inappropriate compensatory strategies in the meantime.) There are chapters for doing therapy with all ages, including what kinds of things you can do with an infant who is not yet speaking. That was great for my family. If you're a PARENT of a child with cleft, there may be some things that don't readily make sense (sideview diagrams of the oral cavity during production of different speech targets), but most of the book is still going to be an excellent resource. It will teach you the logic of the TYPES of speech issues that can accompany speech with cleft, how these can develop and why they might develop, what you can expect, and what you can help do about it. I am a big believer in the more you learn, the more an advocate you become for your own child. And the more a part of the therapy "team" you become. Instead of just "taking your child to see the therapist", you become the "at home therapist" who can read, understand, ask questions, and implement good at-home behaviors that can help make a few weekly hours of professional therapy stretch beyond the walls of the "office", and into the child's everyday environment. Finally, if you're a new parent of a child with a cleft, please feel free to write me. There are few parents that were easy for me to talk to when my baby was born with this issue. Feeding is difficult in the beginning and it can feel scary and foreign, and far from the breastfeeding and closeness that you were imagining, especially if food is coming out the nose like it was for us, etc. It was a really vulnerable time for me and my family and therefore, I'd like to give other new parents someone to talk to who understands what you're going through and can maybe help with some ideas. You can write me at [e-mail] or [e-mail] :)Meredith

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Must Read" for all parents of children with cleft palate!, June 8, 2001

By 

Anne Martel (Suffern, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Therapy Techniques for Cleft Palate Speech and Related Disorders (Paperback)

As a mother with a child who has a cleft palate, I was absolutely thrilled with this book. I have recommended it as a "must read" to all the parents of children with cleft palates that I know and to our healthcare professionals. It answered all the questions I have had, but could never find answers to, about my child's developing speech and how to manage his care. It contains easy to follow, useable techniques for improving speech production that are simple to apply and yield unbelievably fast results. Some of the topics of interest to me include: the basic mechanics of speech production, how to encourage early speech, how to recognize all the different types of cleft palate speech errors and how and when to correct them, how to make the most of Early Intervention and school district provided services, and, most importantly, specific exercises to encourage production of new sounds. The speech pathologist we work with, while excellent, does not have extensive experience in cleft palate speech. This book enabled her to design an exercise program tailored to my child's current needs and we plan to use it as a guide for each step of his speech development. After reading it I feel confident that I can actively and intelligently participate in my child's therapy.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Source for Therapists Working with VPI, January 30, 2002

By 

PulgaBucky (Northeast, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Therapy Techniques for Cleft Palate Speech and Related Disorders (Paperback)

This book gave our therapist a clear set of instructions for working with my daughter, who has VPI and a submucus cleft palate. Using these techniques, after over a year of traditional therapy, within six months of three sessions a week this therapist had my daughter saying most of her sounds. It gave my baby her voice so she could tell me with words what she had, up until then, been telling me with gestures and tone of voice.

If your child has any leakage of air into his or her nose when speaking, this book is a must read. Read it yourself and pass it to your speech therapist. My daughter is now in a position where they can evaluate what, if any, surgical intervention will help with her speech.