Tips for Making a Successful Cleft Palate Team Referral

A school-based speech-language pathologist is assessing Eleanor, age  6, when she notes an unusual articulation pattern and nasal quality to Eleanor’s speech. Although Eleanor does not have a cleft palate, the SLP has concerns about palatal function and wants to refer her to a team of professionals specializing in disorders of resonance and velopharyngeal function for further assessment. She asks, “Where do I begin?” Most people with a cleft palate begin working with an interdisciplinary team at birth. However, SLPs occasionally need to seek the guidance of such a team when they suspect velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) as a cause of a speech issue for a client. The SLP may refer to a team to establish a diagnosis, determine treatment, request specialized assessment of resonance and velopharyngeal function, or seek advice on managing the case. SLPs might have several questions on how to proceed. What do I tell the family? Where do I find a craniofacial interdisciplinary team in my region? How do I make a referral? Here are some answers to these questions and other details to help with making a successful referral for craniofacial issues: Tell parents or caregivers why their child needs a referral to the cleft palate team. It might surprise parents to learn their child’s speech issues requires referral to a team of specialists, especially if the team includes a surgeon. Explain your concerns clearly in non-technical language that the perceived issue goes beyond yo...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Health Care Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology cleft palate Speech Disorders velopharyngeal dysfunction Source Type: blogs