J Korean Soc Plast Reconstr Surg.  1999 Sep;26(5):858-865.

Simple Method of Speech Evaluation in the Korean Patient with Cleft Palate

• Kim JH
• Bae YC
• Hwang SM
• Jeon JY

Abstract

In analyzing the postoperative results or evaluating the velopharyngeal incompetence after palatoplasty, speech evaluation is the inevitable factor. However, a standardized method for evaluating the speech problem in Korean cleft palate patients has not been available until now. So, the authors tried to establish a method of speech evaluation which is simple, economic and applicable to young patients, and to make a scoring method of the speech results in cleft palate patients based on the 'hypernasality diagnosing tool for cleft palate patient (OK Ran Jung)' which is commonly used by domestic speech therapists. The authors adopted the 'hypernasality diagnosing tool for cleft palate patients (OK Ran Jung)' male and female of children and adults, each consisting of 10 patients and make them speak according to the items about hypernasality and misarticulation evaluation, and record the results. We also calcuted the degree of the formants of the vowels (/a/, /o/, /u/)using sound spectrography. We examined the interjudge and intrajudge reliance of speech evaluation among the 10 inverstigators, revised the evaluation tool, devised the scoring method according to the above results, and compared the scoring results with those of sound spectrography to prove the reliance of our speech evaluation tool. With the scoring method, the authors could estimate the degree of hypemasality and misarticulation in cleft palate patients with evidence of reliability based on point-to-point agreement in two items. In comparing the results of our scoring method with the formant of vowels using sound spectrography, staistical significance existed except /u/F2 and that meant that our scoring method was reliable. We suggest that this simple, economic and reliable method of speech evaluation in cleft palate patients can create the basis for speech evaluation in patients of cleft palate and velopharyngeal incompetence under circumstances in which the results of various speech treatments are evaluated in comparison to various methods of speech evaluation.

MeSH Terms

Adult
Articulation Disorders
Child
Cleft Palate*
Female
Humans
Male
Research Design
Sound Spectrography
Velopharyngeal Insufficiency