A 5-year-old girl after pharyngeal flap surgery still demonstrates glottal stops and fricatives. What should the SLP do?

A 5-year-old girl after pharyngeal flap surgery still demonstrates glottal stops and fricatives. What should the SLP do?

• A. Refer to a cleft palate team
• B. Refer back to the surgeon
• C. Initiate articulation treatment
• D. Delay treatment until recovery

Answer: (C)

Choosing to initiate articulation treatment is a strategic approach to address the speech issues that persist after the child's pharyngeal flap surgery. Following such a surgical procedure, it's not uncommon for children to continue exhibiting compensatory speech patterns, like glottal stops and fricatives, which can develop due to a history of velopharyngeal insufficiency. These patterns may serve as maladaptive strategies to cope with the challenges of producing certain sounds correctly. By beginning articulation treatment, the speech-language pathologist can work directly with the child to promote more appropriate sound production and reinforce the skills necessary for clearer speech. This therapeutic intervention can help the child learn how to replace these compensatory strategies with more typical sound production techniques as she continues to recover and adapt post-surgery. Additionally, early intervention can prevent the formation of entrenched speech habits that may persist if not addressed promptly. In contrast, the other options would not directly contribute to the child's immediate needs. Referring to a cleft palate team or the surgeon could lead to delays in direct speech therapy, which is crucial at this stage. Delaying treatment until complete recovery may prolong the child's use of compensatory speech patterns, impact communication effectiveness, and potentially hinder overall speech and language development.

Choosing to initiate articulation treatment is a strategic approach to address the speech issues that persist after the child's pharyngeal flap surgery. Following such a surgical procedure, it's not uncommon for children to continue exhibiting compensatory speech patterns, like glottal stops and fricatives, which can develop due to a history of velopharyngeal insufficiency. These patterns may serve as maladaptive strategies to cope with the challenges of producing certain sounds correctly.

By beginning articulation treatment, the speech-language pathologist can work directly with the child to promote more appropriate sound production and reinforce the skills necessary for clearer speech. This therapeutic intervention can help the child learn how to replace these compensatory strategies with more typical sound production techniques as she continues to recover and adapt post-surgery. Additionally, early intervention can prevent the formation of entrenched speech habits that may persist if not addressed promptly.

In contrast, the other options would not directly contribute to the child's immediate needs. Referring to a cleft palate team or the surgeon could lead to delays in direct speech therapy, which is crucial at this stage. Delaying treatment until complete recovery may prolong the child's use of compensatory speech patterns, impact communication effectiveness, and potentially hinder overall speech and language development.