[Summer school speech therapy for children with cleft palate and language disorder].
BACKGROUND
Cleft palate patients with language impairment require specific therapy.


OBJECTIVE
Study two modalities of speech intervention in cleft palate children with associated linguistic impairment, a conventional approach providing speech therapy, twice a week, and a speech summer camp for a period of three weeks.


METHODS
Twenty-five cleft palate patients with language impairment were studied. A matched control group was gathered. Patients included in the first group attended a three week duration speech summer camp. Control patients included in the second group received speech therapy twice a week.


RESULTS
At the onset of either the summer camp or the speech intervention period, the severity of language impairment was evenly distributed with non-significant differences across groups (p > 0.05). After the summer camp or 9 months of speech therapy sessions, both groups showed a significant decrease in the severity of language impairment (p < 0.05). At the end of the summer camp, and the therapy period, non-significant differences, were found between groups (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Speech summer camp is a reliable and efficient method to provide speech therapy for left palate patients with language impairment.
Pamplona
María del Carmen
Mdel C
Departamento de Foniatría, Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea González, México D.F., México. macamenpamplona@hotmail.com
Ysunza
Antonio
A
Pérez
Gloria
G
Vergara
Sabrina
S
D002675:Child, Preschool; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D013070:Speech Therapy