Dear list:
I just don't buy into the importance of raising the soft palate, or should I
say making an issue of it, unless hypernasality exists.
I've set in on numerous exams where the competence of the velum (no valum as
some repeatedly spell it) is examined. It's either closed or it's open.
Maybe it's more open in some instances than others but when it is open
nasality will be detected. By the way, it's not the uvula that closes off
the velopharyngeal port, it is essentially useless, but the velum itself
which not only moves up but back to seal off the port.
As far as Lloyd's student's go that exhibit some nasality despite his
observation that the velum is raised, this cannot be physiologically true.
The uvula may be appearing to raise upwards but the velum is most likely not
moving back far enough to seal the port. My question, coming from a speech
language pathology background, is do they exhibit nasality in their speaking
voice?
If they don't, they don't have velopharyngeal incompetence. Instead of
focusing on the velum figure out why the port is open. Many times it has to
do with tongue retraction. When the tongue retracts it blocks the mouth,
therefore the velum will drop somewhat to allow the air to exit from the nose
instead of the blocked mouth.
I see no value in this discussion personally, it gives credence to a subject
matter that is a big waste of time with the vast majority of students unless
velopharyngeal incompetence is the issue and that needs to be dealt with
medically.
Randy Buescher
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