ABSTRACT Purpose: to verify the association between central auditory skills and speech disorders related to velopharyngeal dysfunction. Methods: forty-five children, with repaired non-syndromic cleft lip and palate or cleft lip only, aged 7-11 years old, were divided into three groups: G1 (n=15), children with hypernasality, nasal air emission, and compensatory articulations; G2 (n=15), children with hypernasality and nasal air emission, but without compensatory articulations; and G3 (n=15), children without hypernasality, nasal air emission, and compensatory articulations. The medical records of all participants were analyzed to verify the eligibility criteria and obtain speech assessments, and then, they were submitted to an assessment of central auditory skills. Statistical analysis comprised descriptive and chi-square test with a significance level of 5%. Results: G1 presented a higher occurrence of impairment in central auditory skills differing from the other groups, particularly in the temporal ordering and binaural integration skills. A significant difference was observed among groups in temporal ordering ability. No significant association was found between the use of specific types of compensatory articulations and impaired auditory skills. Conclusion: there was an association between changes in temporal ordering auditory skills and binaural integration in children with velopharyngeal dysfunction, regardless of the presence or type of compensatory articulation found.

Introduction  Any impairment in the hearing ability of a child with cleft lip and palate may cause difficulties in receptive and expressive language. Purpose  Check the association between velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD), compensatory articulation (CA), and peripheral hearing loss in children with cleft palate surgery. Methods  Retrospective study with 60 children (group 1: presence of VPD and CA; group 2: absence of VPD, presence of CA; group 3: presence of VDP, absence of CA; group 4: absence of VPD and CA), age 4 to 5 years old, with cleft palate surgery, through the analysis of the hearing, VP, and speech evaluations. Results  Group 4 presented 80% normal hearing; group 1 had 60% hearing loss. The conductive hearing loss type was the most frequent. The glottal stop was the most frequent in group 1 and the middorsum palatal plosive in group 2. There was no significant association (p = 0.05) between hearing loss and the presence of compensatory articulations (groups 2 and 4), nor between hearing loss and the presence of VPD (groups 3 and 4; p = 0.12). Statistical significance (p = 0.025) was found when the group with VPD was associated with the group with CA, that is, group 1 with the control group (group 4). Conclusion  Significant association between peripheral hearing loss, compensatory articulations, and VPD was verified for the children in group 1, which not only presented compensatory articulations but also VPD.

INTRODUCTION: At the initial consultation, the speech-language pathologist and audiologist may consider possible diagnostic hypotheses based on the child's history and the parents' complaint. AIM:To investigate the association of hearing complaints with the findings obtained in the conventional audiologic assessment in children with cleft lip and palate. Retrospective study. METHODS: We analyzed medical charts of 1000 patients with cleft lip and palate who underwent surgical repair between 1988 and 1995 at a mean age of 6 years 8 months. We excluded charts with records of inconsistent audiological responses and charts with missing data for any of the audiologic evaluations considered. Thus, the sample consisted of 393 records. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-nine patients presented hearing loss in one or both ears, but only 3.8% reported hearing complaints. The most frequent were otorrhea followed by otalgia. There was no statistical significance between the complaint and gender (p = 0.26) nor between the complaint and hearing loss (p = 0.83). CONCLUSION: This study showed no association between the hearing complaint and the conventional audiologic assessment.