A brief overview of psychological issues in cleft lip and palate

Abstract

Psychological factors including parental adjustment, child temperament, social and emotional adjustment, intellectual development, and school achievement for children with CLP were discussed in this chapter. The emotional, behavioral, and social adjustment of children with CLP is dependent on multiple factors. Some of these have been described in this short overview. It is clear that parents play a vital role in supporting their children with CLP and parental confidence and skill can facilitate good adjustment [9, 15, 39]. Nonetheless, characteristics intrinsic to the child including temperament and intelligence will also make critical contributions to the child's overall well-being. While the interplay between intrinsic characteristics and environmental factors is not unique to children with CLP, recognition of these factors by members of the Cleft Team will assist them in understanding the needs of both children with CLP and their parents. © 2006 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.