International Survey on Cleft Palate Speech Evaluation and Categorization.

Abstract

The aims of this paper are to survey categorical systems of cleft palate speech that professionals in other countries use in their clinical work and to obtain their opinion of our system usually used in Japan. We sent 217 questionnaires mainly to institutions in the U. S. A. and Canada. Each questionnaire consisted of 3 questions : description of the categorical system used routinely in each institution, types of speech samples used for evaluation, and a request for comments on our system.Fifty-two institutions (24 %) responded. Almost all answered that the speech factors to be evaluated were vocal resonance and articulation. They also used speech in words, sentences and conversation as speech samples. The three most frequently used articulation tests Bzoch Error Pattern Articulation Test, Templin-Darley Test of Articulation and Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation. We received various comments from 23 institutions, with 10 answers showing complete agreement with our system.This project gave us meaningful information about American/European clinical work on cleft palate speech, leading us to consider our categorical system to be clinically reasonable.