Fitzsimons KJ, et al. - An exploration was carried out of the differences in academic achievement between 5-year-old children with an isolated oral cleft and the general population. Additionally, experts inspected the differences by cleft type. Findings unveiled markedly poorer academic achievement across all areas of learning among 5-year-old children with an isolated oral cleft, particularly those involving the palate. Yielded data depicted the results of modern surgical techniques and multidisciplinary approach. It was determined that the children with a cleft could benefit from extra academic support when starting school.