If a child can be helped to catch up on missed work he will be less anxious about falling behind. A cleft child's hearing may fluctuate as the hearing loss is often intermittent. Reduced attention span, repeated questions, deterioration of quality of speech and in work standards may well be signs of hearing loss. Extra encouragement may be needed if a cleft child is to talk in front of the class, to participate in debates, read aloud or take part in video filming. In some cases special consideration may need to be made when the child is a candidate for oral examinations.
Children usually react to the unknown out of fear and embarrassment.
Name-calling and teasing can be dealt with by simple explanations of the cleft child's condition. If this is done on an occasion when the child is away from school, the teacher will have the opportunity to explain to the class that the child is brave and courageous. Helping the class to explore how they would feel if they had to cope with frequent hospital appointments as well as several homework assignments a week could be productive.