Electropalatography treatment in an adult with late repair of cleft palate

Abstract

This paper describes the use of electropalatography (EPG) in the treatment of a speech disorder in a Cantonese-speaking woman who had primary repair of the palate at age 13. A multiple-baseline approach was used to document treatment efficacy using electropalatography. The client showed rapid improvement in articulatory placement, with generalization to nontarget phonemes. In addition, improvement was noted in her manner of articulation, with a reduction of nasal emission. The relationship between articulatory placement errors and nasal emission in late repair cleft is discussed. Explanations for the effectiveness of EPG with this client are offered.