Which articulatory characteristic is commonly associated with children having cleft lip and palate?

Hypernasality is a hallmark characteristic often observed in children with cleft lip and palate. This occurs because the structural anomalies result in an abnormal flow of air through the nasal cavity during speech. When there is a cleft in the hard palate, the separation between the oral cavity and the nasal cavity is compromised, causing an excess of air to escape through the nose while speaking. This not only affects the resonance of speech but can significantly impact the quality of sounds, making some speech sounds particularly difficult to produce clearly and resulting in a nasal or muffled voice. Maintaining normal resonance is crucial for clear articulation, and hypernasality is a key indicator that can inform assessment and intervention strategies for these children.