Background@#
Velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI)
therapy for
cleft palate (
speech therapy alone,
speech therapy using
speech aids, or combined
therapy such as
speech therapy using a pharyngeal flap), is more effective in younger
patients than in
adult patients.
Speech therapy is known as very difficult for
patients who still have VPI as an
adult. Because of the possibility of subsequent
speech disorders, the timing of
surgery for
cleft palate is accelerating. Herein, we present a case of an
adult with
articulation disorder due to VPI
who was treated by
speech therapy and a
speech-
aid prosthesis.Case presentation A
woman who underwent
cleft palate surgery at 8 years of age still had difficulty with articulation due to VPI as a 24-year-old
adult because of a lack of continuous
speech therapy. We decided to use a
speech-
aid application using palatal lift, and a reduction program was conducted four times, along with simultaneous
speech therapy, over a period of 1 year and 7 months. During the
therapy period, she was able to speak normally within a relatively short period of
time, and after implementation of the reduction program, the
therapy was completed by completely removing the
device. Long-term observations have shown normal
speech function without
recurrence, even after the
device was removed. @*Conclusion@#As seen in this case,
speech therapy using
speech aids can show a good result for
adult patients with
cleft palate who missed the usual timing for the
treatment of
articulation disorders, depending on the situation. Therefore, it is hereby reported as a
therapy option worthy of consideration.