2013 NCF Speech Therapy Camp in ChangSha, China

2013/07/10

合作國家

China

Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) often occurs to children born with cleft palate with or without cleft lip. Due to the failure of velopharyngeal closure which leaves the opening between the soft palate and the back wall of the throat during speech. The two main speech symptoms of VPI are hypernasality and nasal air emission.

Lots of the cleft palate children in China couldn’t speech properly but most of them may not have the opportunities to get further treatments in result of financial difficulties or long distant traveling. Another reason is majority of the parents don’t understand the necessary of speech pathology.

▲ Speech Therapy Camp Opening

Accordingly, NCF cooperates with The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University of China to host a 3 days Speech Therapy Camp end of June in 2013. We had a workshop where the experts of various areas including the division of Surgical, Dental, Otorhinolaryngology and Pediatrics, were invited to deliver a speech. Hopefully, the cleft parents would get better understanding of the Team Approach Treatments and be more attentive to be involved in each crucial stage of patients' treatment.

▲Rebecca Wang, exclusive director of NCF, gave a speech on the importance of Psycho-Social development

Except for the workshop, free medical treatments were provided on the 1^st day afternoon and 2 Taiwanese Speech pathologists were also there to offer free speech evaluation and therapy.

▲Free medical treatment

It was estimated that 150 participants including patients and parents attended the program. 51 cleft patients were evaluated and 14 among them had further treatment. These cases are going to be followed up by the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University.

▲Free speech evaluation

▲Free speech treatment

Here is the news report from local newspaper of Hunan Province, giving the positive comments of the Speech Therapy Camp.