Families who need to know more about cleft repair should be advised to talk with their surgeon. The American Cleft Palate Foundation provides a wide range of literature written by professionals for families about cleft palate and the problems associated with cleft palate. Many of the publications that are available through the Cleft Palate Foundation can be obtained through the website. They are all free of charge. I would encourage families and children with clefts to contact the Cleft Palate Foundation any time they have questions about cleft palate.
Clefts affect the soft palate, which is the posterior part of the roof of the mouth.
If you move your tongue along the roof of your mouth from front to back, you will notice the roof of your mouth becomes soft as you move your tongue towards the back. The soft palate moves when we speak, to prevent air from escaping into your nose and causing a hypernasal quality. When that happens, it becomes difficult for the child to produce many of the speech sounds in English. Most of the speech sounds in English require that the space between your mouth and your nose behind the soft palate be completely closed. Those are the only three nasal sounds in English.