Metacognitive strategies for enhancing language development in children with cleft palate

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-26-2015

Publication Title

European Journal of Plastic Surgery

Abstract

Background: Children born with cleft palate frequently show compensatory articulation errors (CA), and they are also at risk for language delays. There is a need of studies on speech–language intervention in this patient group. The purpose of this paper is to study metacognitive strategies for enhancing language development in children with cleft palate. Methods: Twenty-six children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) were studied and divided in two groups. The age of the patients ranged from 5 to 8 years. Language and articulation measurements for evaluating language development were made at the beginning and the end of the study. Both groups were treated with previously reported strategies routinely used for enhancing language. In addition, children from one group (active group) were exposed to metacognitive strategies which have been described as useful for enhancing expert thinking processes, such as think-aloud. For evaluating language development, all children were analyzed using the Situational-Discourse-Semantic Model. Results: The results indicate that children with UCLP and CA benefit from an intervention which also addresses specific aspects of language development. The patients included in the active group in which the metacognitive strategies were used showed a greater improvement as compared with the patients from the control group. Conclusions: Intervention in children with cleft palate and CA should address not only the articulation processes, but also specific aspects of language development. Metacognitive strategies could be an adequate option for enhancing language performance in this patient group. Level of Evidence: Level III, therapeutic study

Volume

38

Issue

5

First Page

377

Last Page

384

DOI

10.1007/s00238-015-1094-1

ISSN

0930343X

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS