u/ZestyGiraffee

Hi everyone,

I (30F) was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. My lip is fully repaired and my palate has also been repaired. I’ve also done speech therapy on and off throughout my life—starting in elementary school (a bit late), a few months in high school, a few months after college, and again as an adult.

In every round of therapy, my speech therapists have told me that there’s nothing wrong with my speech or that I’ve basically reached a “normal” level already.

But I still feel unsure.

When I record myself and practice (as advised by therapist), I sometimes notice things that feel off—maybe a bit nasal, or certain sounds not coming out right—but I honestly can’t pinpoint what it is. I don’t know if it’s an actual speech issue or just me being overly self-conscious because of my history.

Has anyone experienced something similar? How do you tell the difference between real speech concerns and just being hyper-aware of your own voice?

I’ve also attached a short audio clip of my speech practice for reference. Any honest feedback would be appreciated, especially if anything sounds off or unclear.

Any advice or perspective would really help

Hi everyone. I’m a 30F with bilateral cleft lip and palate, and I wanted to ask if anyone here has had a similar experience with speech, especially as an adult.

My lip has been fully repaired, and my family says it isn’t very noticeable anymore. My palate was also repaired, and I’ve undergone speech therapy at different stages of my life.

One thing I sometimes wonder about is whether I started therapy too late. I see kids nowadays starting speech therapy at around 3–5 years old, while I only started at around age 10, and even then it was pretty on and off.

I went back to therapy in high school, then had a few months again after college. More recently, as an adult, I did speech therapy again late last year because I suddenly (?) had trouble articulating sounds like s, ch, sh, t, and d.

Right now, I’m practicing on my own and recording myself while speaking so I can hear my progress. But whenever I listen back, I can’t help but hear little imperfections in my speech (not sure if that’s the right term 😅). Sometimes I feel like I sound a bit nasal, but most of the time I don’t think I do.

I guess I’m wondering: is this normal? Do any other adults with cleft lip/palate still notice things in their speech that other people may not even hear? Is it common to become hyperaware of your own voice after years of therapy? How exactly can you talk clearer?

Would love to hear from anyone with a similar experience.

BCLP — unsure about my speech and would like honest input

is it normal to still hear “imperfections” in your speech?