Development of the Object Permanence Concept in Cleft Lip and Palate and Noncleft Lip and Palate Infants

Studies of lang acquisition in cleft lip & palate infants have not investigated the development of specific cognitive concepts, such as object permanence, which may be related to early linguistic skills. Comparative data on the development of the object permanence concept in cleft lip & palate & noncleft lip & palate infants was obtained to determine whether there were significant differences in rate or sequence of development. Infants (N = 6 Ms, 6 Fs) were tested for the object permanence concept from 12 through 18 months of age. Results revealed significant improvement in all infants' scores with age, indicating progressive development of the concept. Further, although scores were not significantly different between the cleft lip & palate groups, scores for these groups were significantly better than scores for noncleft lip & palate infants. Superior performance of the cleft lip & palate infants may have resulted from increased environmental stimulation provided by their parents. Implications for intervention & future research in this area are presented. 4 Tables, 12 References. HA