Evaluation of children with Down’s Syndrome through ICF-CJ: comparison of parents ‘and therapists’ vision

Abstract

Introduction: The arrival of a disabled child brings many challenges to the family members and can impact on the child’s functionality. The family’s view of the child does not always match both their potentialities and deficits. It is therefore important to compare the views of the child’s parents and therapists. Objective: To compare the views of parents and therapists regarding the functionality of children with Down Syndrome (DS). Methods: This is a qualitative, sample-for-convenience study with three children with DS, their parents and therapists. Data collection was done through the application of the CIF-CJ with one of the responsible of the child and with the trainee therapist responsible for each case, all of whom were attended at university speech-language pathology clinic. Results: After analyzing the three cases, it was observed that the difference in the responses of the family and the therapists was concentrated in the children language, especially in relation to speech. It has also been observed that therapists perceive the relationship of family members with health professionals who are more fragile than their parents. The results reinforce the importance of looking at functionality in childhood clinic. Conclusion: In the comparison of functionality in the perception of parents and therapists, the difference in perception of the children’s linguistic production was highlighted