Language Skills and Cognitive Linguistic Skills in Children with Repaired Cleft Palate

Abstract

Introduction: Language and cognitive skills in children with Cleft lip and palate (CLP) are not routinely assessed considering the difficulties as articulatory in nature. The aim of the study was to identify cognitive linguistic and language skills in school-age children with early repaired CLP (RCLP) and the variables affecting the same. The objectives were to (1) Investigate the language skills, cognitive linguistic skills and to establish the relationship between the language and cognitive linguistic skills in this population. Method: 17 non-syndromic children with RCLP in the age range of 5-6 years were selected. KLT and computerized CLAP-C were used to assess language and cognitive linguistic skills respectively. The interactions between the subtests were explored. Results & Discussion: The results show that 88 %( 15) of the children with RCLP obtained age appropriate scores while 12 (2) failed to obtain age appropriate scores in KLT. 8% (2) of children in the group scored age appropriately in all domains for CLAP-C. Children performed poorly on CLAPC compared to KLT. There was a significant correlation between the language skills and cognitive linguistic skill except in the domain memory. Language abilities did not favor memory task probably due to the demand for cognitive mediation required for the same. The difficulty in visual memory is delineated as probable reason for reading difficulties in these children. Conclusion: Results cautions the professionals and parents to look beyond the timing of surgical correction and speech disorder to probe into the linguistic, higher language processing and academic skills of the children with cleft lip and palate.