Not only does the cleft-affected child have to learn how to make the same sounds as everyone else using a different structure, but after each surgery he has to learn to use new equipment. A child with an isolated cleft may also face some emotional challenges. If she is very self-conscious about her cleft scar or her speech differences, she may become introverted and her self esteem may plummet. Occasionally, professional counseling may be needed to help the child identify her strengths and put the cleft scar into its proper perspective. A child with an isolated cleft faces a promising future.
Reconstructive surgery can all but completely erase the physical reminders of the cleft.
Speech therapy can erase any reminders of cleft-affected speech. With the structures repaired and the function restored, the child with an isolated cleft can go on to enjoy a completely normal life. People with isolated clefts have gone on in life to become doctors, lawyers, politicians, public speakers, ministers, movie stars, beauty queens, and more. The child with an isolated cleft is no different from his peers, except that he was born with a cleft. And the cleft can be repaired.