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Abstract:
A three-level classification system for cleft palate speech
(Godbersen 1997) is presented. According to this model, disorders
of the first level are hypernasal resonance disorders. On the
second level, cleft palate speakers may develop compensatory
articulatory behaviour, and on the third level, voice disorders
may occur. We present a brief overview of a number of our studies
which addressed these different levels. 1st level: A validation
study for the NasalView, a new instrument for nasalance
measurement, is described, based on data from 156 subjects. The
diagnostic value of two new measures derived from nasalance mean
values was explored. 2nd level: Results from a study on the speed
of compensatory articulation in 145 cleft palate subjects are
presented. It is concluded that compensatory articulation also
has detrimental effects on quantitative aspects of speech. 3rd
level: The prevalence of voice disorders was evaluated in 154
cleft palate subjects, and it was found that severe voice
disorders were only slightly more frequent than in non-cleft
reference groups. In a second study with 56 subjects, possible
effects of hypernasality on signal perturbation were studied.
While the signal perturbation measures clearly differentiated
dysphonic patients from patients with normal voices, no
differences were found between hypernasal and normal
speakers.
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