Hypernasality Treatment
Hypernasality
Treatment:
Hypernasality is often treated with surgery followed by speech therapy.
Plastic surgeons and ENTs are the specialty surgeons most likely to perform these types of procedures. In the case of a cleft palate, multiple procedures are often necessary in which the cleft is closed and the palate lengthened. For a short soft palate, a surgeon will use a small section of mucosal tissue from the pharynx to bridge the undesirable velopharyngeal gap.
In terms of vocal therapy after surgery, a speech pathologist attempts many different methods for increasing velopharyngeal closure. These methods may include varying tongue position, altering amplification, training the ear, establishing a lower pitch, or increasing oral “openness.”
