What is the goal of speech therapy during cleft palate treatment?

The primary goal of speech therapy during cleft palate treatment is to correct articulation errors. Children with cleft palates often experience difficulties in producing certain sounds due to structural abnormalities of the palate and the impact these have on their ability to control airflow and sound resonance. Speech therapy provides targeted interventions to help these children learn appropriate sound production, enhancing their overall speech clarity and intelligibility. While enhancing resonance, eliminating nasal emissions, and encouraging independent speech production are important aspects of treatment, they are often addressed as part of the broader goal of correcting articulation errors, which is foundational for effective communication.