Why might speech therapy be required after surgery for cleft conditions?

Speech therapy is particularly important after surgery for cleft conditions primarily to resolve residual nasal sounds, which commonly occur due to the structural changes in the oral and nasal cavities caused by the cleft. After surgical intervention, patients may still experience difficulties with resonance and articulation, leading to hypernasality—excessive nasal sound during speech. The goal of therapy in this context is to assess and treat these specific speech characteristics and help the individual achieve clearer speech patterns as they recover.

While the other options touch on different aspects of speech therapy, they do not specifically address the common issues faced by individuals post-surgery for cleft conditions. For instance, although articulation correction is a part of speech therapy, the phrasing “without effort” implies an unrealistic outcome after surgical changes. Similarly, increasing vocal pitch and preventing further surgery may not directly relate to the immediate speech challenges following cleft repair, making resolution of nasal sounds a critical focus.