Early speech-language intervention in childhood aphasia after a stroke: case report

Abstract

Stroke is less common in children than in adults, but it has a devastating power for the future of these individuals, even with signs of better recovery from the changes. The aim of this study is to describe the speech therapy findings of a case of stroke child, showing the progress after 12 months of speech therapy initiated early after acquired neurological injury. This is an individual of 11 years old, male, with neurodevelopment normality and independence to the functional activities during early childhood. In March of 2015, he suffered a sudden illness, was referred to the emergency hospital and diagnosed with hemorrhagic stroke, in the left frontoparetotemporal region. Surgical procedures were performed, and hospitalization lasted 25 days. At the time of hospital discharge, there was guidance about the need for speech therapy care. In the first evaluation of language, there was evidence of acquired aphasia of the emissive type, according to the classifications proposed for children. A total of 91 speech therapy sessions lasting 50 minutes were performed for 12 months. When analyzing formal language skills that have remained altered, it is observed that those related to reading and writing are those of greater significance, interfering in school performance and communicative development. Thus, in addition to speech and language therapy until functional communication is possible, it is important that there be school support.