1699L - Early Intervention for Infants/Toddlers with Cleft Lip and Palate

This session was invited by the ASHA Topic Area - Craniofacial and Velopharyngeal Disorders. Infants/toddlers with cleft lip and palate are at risk for delays in speech and language development. This presentation will cover topics related to early development, assessment, and treatment of speech and language delays in infants/toddlers with cleft palate. The discussion will provide an overview of research examining the prelinguistic and early speech and language development of infants/toddlers with cleft palate. Next, assessment issues, including speech sound, language, and resonance will be reviewed. Finally, evidence-based early intervention strategies for infants/toddlers with cleft palate will be presented. Audio and video-recorded samples of cases and intervention strategies will be included.