Evolution of communicative skills in Williams Syndrome - Therapeutic process of a clinical case

Abstract

Background: the Williams Syndrome, a genetic rare syndrome of dominant autossomic inheritance, exerts impact on diverse areas of the development, including the cognitive, linguistic, behavioral and motor areas, with probability of occurrence of 1: 20,000 children (Sugayama et al, 2000). The aim of this study was to characterize the communicative abilities evolution, as well as to describe the therapy process of speech and language of a patient with Williams Sydrome. Method: this case was a female child observed since 5 years old in speech and language therapy for nine months. For the analysis, it was taken in consideration the initial and the final assessment, clinical and formal, and the therapeutical observations. Results: Evolution was observed in the symbolic game; in the pragmatic, syntactic, semantic and phoneticphonological aspects; in the adaptative, gross motor, fine motor, personal-social and linguistic behaviors; in the abilities of auditory and visual reception, visual and grammatical closure, visual and auditory association and manual expression. It was verified after the intervention period, slow, however constant communicative development. Conclusion: this clinical report revealed important findings to be discussed about assessment and intervention in Williams Syndrome, which is precarious in literature.