What should be monitored post-palatal repair to assess learned behaviors?

Monitoring nasal substitutions post-palatal repair is crucial because it directly relates to the functional changes in speech that may occur as the client heals and adapts to the anatomical modifications made during surgery. After a palatal repair, the structure and function of the palate are altered, and this can lead to changes in how sounds are produced.

Nasal substitutions are specific speech errors where sounds that should be produced orally are instead produced nasally, often resulting from improper closure of the velopharyngeal port. Observing these behaviors helps in understanding the patient's adaptation to the surgery and whether any additional treatment or intervention might be necessary. This type of monitoring aids in identifying whether the post-surgical speech production aligns with expected outcomes, allowing clinicians to intervene if learned maladaptive speech patterns develop.

Articulation errors, speech clarity, and phoneme production are also important to assess following palatal repair, but nasal substitutions are particularly indicative of the structural challenges the patient might continue to face. By focusing on nasal substitutions, clinicians can better target interventions that promote optimal speech production and monitor the effectiveness of the surgical repair over time.