Proposal of Differentiated Care to Parents of Children with Complaints of Language Alterations

Abstract

Introduction: It has been increasing in private or public Speech-Language and Hearing clinics demands for care to children with complaints like: “do not talk”; “speaks little”; “speaks wrong” or “presents unintelligible productions”. The possibility to accept that demand in the National Health System is a relevant issue in accordance with public health policies based on the concepts of promotion, prevention and care. Goal: Check the efficacy of differentiated care procedure, with preventive purposes, to parents of children with language alterations complaints waiting for speech therapy in the National Health System. Method: Quantitative and qualitative research with participation of six families waiting for speech therapy in a Health Unit in São Paulo - Brasil. Five instruments were used: 1- Initial Interview with parents; 2- Language Evaluation; 3- Communicative Abilities and Difficulties Questionnaire for Parents; 4- Communicative Attitudes Observation Protocol for Parents filled in from the filming of a play activity between parents and their children and an instrument that guided the construction of the differentiated care: 5- Favorable and Unfavorable Actions to Communication, Play and Oral Habits. After 3 months the 2, 3 and 4 instruments were re-applied, to check whether there were changes. Results: After the differentiated care all families reported a better understanding of their children’s speech. A general increasing of favorable attitudes like: discourse reformulations, continuity enunciations, requests for clarification was observed, and also a decrease in unfavorable attitudes. That showed a positive impact on the dialogism, on the resulting interactions and communicative of the children. Conclusion: The results show that the proposed differentiated care was effective as a Speech-Language and Hearing clinical device in public health and may establish new care practices family-centered and centered in the commitments of co-responsibility between health professionals and the public.