Indicators for a family guidance proposal for families of children in Speech Therapy

Abstract

Objective: To develop a chart with indicators to help elaborate a family guidance proposal for families of children suffering from language disorders and undergoing speech therapy. That will be done by understanding the families’ needs. Method: In 3 different moments of the treatment process, 22 family members of children between 2 and 11 years old who were in treatment, participated in semi-structured interviews for a qualitative enquiry. The analysis of the interviews resulted in 18 indicators, each of them specifying a goal and a guideline for the speech therapist. Results: Based on these indicators, a guidance proposal was constructed to help the professional to attend to the families’ needs, as understood from their perspective. Conclusion: The literature offers few studies about family guidance in speech therapy. Therefore, the present study is based on the needs of the families, emphasizing the importance of taking the family in and guaranteeing respect for the singularities of both patients and their relatives..