A girl afflicted with congenital aglossia, a very rare disease, was followed continuously. At the age of nine years, her articulation was assessed by intelligibility testing on a single sound, taped recordings, lateral Xray videography, electropalatography and sound spectrography.
Results were as follows:
1) Intelligibility remained adequate, but in the particular assessment articulation disorders due to absence of the tongue were clearly observed.
2) Absence of the tongue was compensated by elevation of the oral floor in the case of vowels and velar sounds, and by the lower lip in the case of other consonants including certain labial and velar sounds. In the latter case, articulation was performed by changing the contacting form and extent of the lower lip for each sound.
3) Compensatory articulation may be acquired through the patient's own oral form and function, which was characterized by contacting with the lower lip and the jaw easily,
and through elevation of the oral floor during swallowing movements at an early suckling age.
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