Relationship of perceptual evaluation for resonance disorders to nasalance scores in children with cleft palate.

OBJECTIVE

To determine relationship between screening perceptual assessment for resonance disorders and nasalance scores.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: Screening perceptual assessment of 115 children with cleft palate with or without lip was performed to determine its relationship to nasalance sores. The perceptual assessment 3-scale (-1: hyponasality; 0: normal; +1: hypernasality) was compared to nasalance scores based on nasometry. To find the weight of Kappa, nasalance scores were converted to a 3-ordinal scale with 3 criteria for cut-off points (-1: nasalance score -1, -1.5 and-2 SD lower than the mean, 0: nasalance score +/- 1 SD, +/- 1.5 and +/- 2 SD of the mean; and + 1: nasalance score + 1 SD, + 1.5, and + 2 SD greater that the mean).

RESULTS

Correlations between screening perceptual assessment and nasalance scores were good to excellent. The percentage of agreement was good, the Kappa reliability was fair to moderate in passages of a mixture of oral and nasal consonants (My House) and devoid of nasal consonants (Laying Hen). A weak relationship was found for the nasal passage (Winter).

CONCLUSION

The relationship of speech assessments in the present study varied, as it depended on the different variables and analysis. To ensure a strong relationship, further prospective study is needed.