This study is designed to examine the relationships of risk factors for children with non-syndromic cleft lip and palate (CL&P) to psychological adjustment. The objective is to determine which risk factors have a primary influence on the behavioral inhibition or shyness seen in many children with CL&P.
The specific aims are to determine how facial appearance and speech contribute to behavioral adjustment and how other individual characteristics such as verbal expression deficit and auditory memory deficits may affect the relationship. Also, it is planned to perform a behavioral analysis and intervention to determine if excessive behavioral inhibition occurs in all situations and whether it is modifiable. The analyses will compare children with CL&P, who have different forms of behavioral inhibition and determine if differences are related to the risk factors. Predictive equations will determine how much early characteristics of verbal disability or memory deficit versus speech and facial appearance contributes to behavior inhibition and possible anxiety.
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