Year: 2024 | Month: January | Volume: 14 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 262-274
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20240134
Vowel Productions in Malayalam Speaking Toddlers with Repaired Cleft Palate and /or Lip
Manju Subrahmanian1, M. Pushpavathi2
1Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, National Institute of Speech and Hearing, Thiruvananthapuram,
2Department of Speech Language Pathology, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Manasagangothri, Mysore
Corresponding Author: Manju Subrahmanian
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Cleft palate and /or lip is a congenital orofacial anomaly affecting speech production skills. The current study investigates vowel production in toddlers with repaired cleft palate and /or lip (RCP±L). The number and type of vowels in terms of tongue height and tongue advancement were computed from the speech sample extracted. In toddlers with RCP±L, the frequency of nasalized vowels was computed.
Method: A 30-minute mother-child interaction video was used for the extraction of speech samples for investigating vowel productions. Vowel productions of five 30–36-month-old toddlers with typical development (TD) were compared with the vowel productions of five 30–36-month-old toddlers with RCP±L.
Results: Toddlers with RCP±L were found to have significantly lesser productions of close-mid, high (close), front, and back vowels in comparison to toddlers with TD. Toddlers with RCP±L were also found to exhibit nasalization of vowels.
Conclusion: Quantity and quality of vowel productions are affected in toddlers with RCP±L, ascertaining the need for early intervention.
Key words: Vowel production, toddlers, repaired cleft palate and /or lip, nasalized vowels, tongue height, tongue advancement, Malayalam