#7339 Pediatric Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Differences: Foundations for Care
 
Working with infants and children who have cleft palate, and /or craniofacial differences is becoming a more frequent population that a community speech-language pathologist and occupational therapists and assistants may encounter on their caseload. Frequently, speech-Language pathologists and occupational therapists and assistants often report that their only experience with cleft palate and/or craniofacial differences they had was acquired through graduate coursework.  The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of common speech, feeding, and swallowing differences one may identify with infants and children who have cleft palate, and /or craniofacial differences. Participants will be able to recognize differences in typical infant anatomy and atypical anatomy.  As well as identify and differentiate types of clefting and common craniofacial differences. Participants can explain use of adaptive bottles and compensatory strategies to improve quality and/or safety of PO feeding and explain components of velopharyngeal dysfunction and how it impacts speech production/resonance.  Common tools utilized during assessment will be reviewed, including standardize measures and objective instrumental studies. Clinicians who attend this presentation will have increased understanding of velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) and how it can impact speech sound production, resonance, and language development. This presentation will provide foundational knowledge required when assessing and treating this specialized population, including structural versus obligatory errors, as well as team collaboration to maximize the infant or child’s functional outcomes. Course instruction methods include lecture, demonstration, videos, case studies and question/answers.
 
Instructor: Raquel Garcia, SLPD, CCC-SLP, CNT, BCS-S
 
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