EPG treatment of a child with the Worster‐Drought syndrome

Abstract

This report of a case study of an unusual child aims to set the use of electropalatography (EPG) within the wider context of general communication therapy. It concerns a child of 12 years, diagnosed as having congenital suprabulbar paresis (Worster-Drought syndrome) who presents with severe developmental dysarthria; his speech is unintelligible, with hypernasality and glottalised articulation. His baseline EPG assessment patterns show minimal tongue-to-palate contact for all lingual obstruents, although he can demonstrate some tongue movement for non-speech skills, and has a slow but near normal swallow pattern. EPG therapy was used for tongue movements, but was adversely affected by his velopharyngeal insufficiency.