Communicative performance of children with Down syndrome in two different situations.

BACKGROUND: analysis of the pragmatic aspects of language in children with Down syndrome. AIM: to verify the influence of environmental and contextual variables in the pragmatic aspects of language of Down syndrome (DS) children when interacting with their caregivers and therapist, and to compare their performance in both situations. METHOD: participants were 15 children with DS with ages ranging from 4 to 6.11 years. Data were obtained through anamnesis, the protocol of functional communicative profile, and a socioeconomic questionnaire. Data obtained from both interaction situations (with the caregiver and with the therapist) were compared, and submitted to statistical analysis. RESULTS: Caregiver's socioeconomic and educational levels were the variables that most had an influence on the pragmatic aspects of the child in both interaction situations. Children presented proportional rates of functional communication when compared to the data obtained for their caregivers and the communicative functions more frequently used by them were recognition of others, comment and performative. Comparisons between the interaction situations indicated no statistically significant differences concerning the children's communicative performance. CONCLUSION: caregivers' socioeconomic and educational levels might be considered risk factors for the development of the pragmatic aspects of language in children with DS and special attention should be given to these families during the speech-language therapeutic process. Independently of the interlocutor, these children were able to initiate and maintain communication, using communicative means and functions in a similar fashion.

Desempenho comunicativo de crianças com síndrome de Down em duas situações diferentes / Communicative performance of children with Down syndrome in two different situations

TEMA: análise dos aspectos pragmáticos da linguagem de crianças com síndrome de Down. OBJETIVO: verificar influência de variáveis ambientais e contextuais nos aspectos pragmáticos da linguagem de crianças com síndrome de Down, na interação com seu cuidador e com seu terapeuta e comparar o desempenho da criança nas duas situações. MÉTODO: participaram desse estudo 15 crianças com síndrome de Down, com idade entre 4 e 6:11 anos. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de anamnese, protocolo de avaliação pragmática da linguagem e questionário para determinar o nível econômico da família. Os dados obtidos nas duas situações foram comparados e realizou-se estudo estatístico. RESULTADOS: o nível econômico e o grau de escolaridade do cuidador foram os fatores que mais influenciaram os aspectos pragmáticos da criança nas duas situações. As crianças usaram sua comunicação de forma funcional e equilibrada em relação ao adulto e as funções comunicativas mais utilizadas por elas foram reconhecimento do outro, comentário e performativo. Foi observado que as crianças apresentaram desempenho comunicativo semelhante nas duas situações. CONCLUSÃO: o baixo nível econômico da família e o baixo grau de escolaridade do cuidador podem ser considerados como fatores de risco para o desenvolvimento dos aspectos pragmáticos da linguagem de crianças com SD e essas famílias devem ter atenção especial do fonoaudiólogo durante o processo terapêutico. Independente do interlocutor, essas crianças foram capazes de iniciar e manter a comunicação, utilizando os modos e funções comunicativas de forma semelhante.

BACKGROUND: analysis of the pragmatic aspects of language in children with Down syndrome. AIM: to verify the influence of environmental and contextual variables in the pragmatic aspects of language of Down syndrome (DS) children when interacting with their caregivers and therapist, and to compare their performance in both situations. METHOD: participants were 15 children with DS with ages ranging from 4 to 6.11 years. Data were obtained through anamnesis, the protocol of functional communicative profile, and a socioeconomic questionnaire. Data obtained from both interaction situations (with the caregiver and with the therapist) were compared, and submitted to statistical analysis. RESULTS: Caregiver's socioeconomic and educational levels were the variables that most had an influence on the pragmatic aspects of the child in both interaction situations. Children presented proportional rates of functional communication when compared to the data obtained for their caregivers and the communicative functions more frequently used by them were recognition of others, comment and performative. Comparisons between the interaction situations indicated no statistically significant differences concerning the children's communicative performance. CONCLUSION: caregivers' socioeconomic and educational levels might be considered risk factors for the development of the pragmatic aspects of language in children with DS and special attention should be given to these families during the speech-language therapeutic process. Independently of the interlocutor, these children were able to initiate and maintain communication, using communicative means and functions in a similar fashion.

[keyword type=m language=en]Down Syndrome[ign]; [keyword type=m language=en]Communication[ign]; [keyword type=m language=en]Language[ign]; [keyword type=m language=en]Child[ign].

Modo comunicativo utilizado por crianças com síndrome de Down / Communicative profile used by children with Down Syndrome

TEMA: a comunicação das crianças com síndrome de Down (SD) é muitas vezes prejudicada devido a dificuldades nos aspectos fonológico, sintático e semântico da linguagem. Para compensar essas dificuldades, muitas crianças utilizam os gestos por um tempo mais prolongado do que as crianças com desenvolvimento típico (DT). OBJETIVO: verificar o desempenho de crianças com SD no que diz respeito ao modo comunicativo (verbal, vocal e gestual) utilizado na interação espontânea com um adulto em situação de brincadeira. MÉTODO: 28 crianças com SD foram estudadas em duas situações distintas: brincadeira com o terapeuta e brincadeira com o cuidador. Foram consideradas as teorias pragmáticas para análise dos resultados. Para determinar a significância estatística foram usados os testes Kuskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney e Wilcoxon e determinado o nível de significância em 5 por cento. RESULTADO: houve maior utilização do meio comunicativo verbal na interação com o cuidador e do meio gestual na interação com o terapeuta. CONCLUSÃO: considerando que o meio comunicativo mais utilizado socialmente é o verbal, podemos considerar que a comunicação, nesse ponto de vista, foi mais efetiva na situação de brincadeira com o cuidador. No entanto, embora tenham sido produzidos menos atos comunicativos verbais na interação com o terapeuta, a criança utilizou o gesto para se comunicar, ou seja, a falta ou pouca comunicação verbal não impediu que a criança se comunicasse com seu interlocutor.

BACKGROUND: the communication of children with Down syndrome (DS) is frequently impaired due to difficulties in the phonological, syntactic and semantic aspects of language. In order to compensate these difficulties, many children use gestures for a longer period of time than children who present typical development (TD). AIM: to verify the performance of children with DS regarding their communicative profile (verbal, oral and gestural) during a play situation and a spontaneous interaction with an adult. METHODS: 28 children with DS were studied in two different play situations: with a speech-language therapist and with the adult caregiver. Pragmatic theories were usede to analyse the data. To determine the statistical significance of the results, the statistical tests of Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon and the confidence interval were used with a significance of 5 percent. RESULTS: the verbal communication mean was used mostly during the interaction with the caregivers and the gestural communication mean was used mostly during the interaction with the therapists. CONCLUSION: considering that the verbal communication mean is the one which is socially more used, the play situation with the caregiver was the most effective. However, although less verbal communicative acts were produced during the interaction with the speech-language therapist, the child used gestures to communicate, that is, the lack or little verbal communication did not stop the child from communicating with the interlocutor.

Communicative profile used by children with Down syndrome.

BACKGROUND: the communication of children with Down syndrome (DS) is frequently impaired due to difficulties in the phonological, syntactic and semantic aspects of language. In order to compensate these difficulties, many children use gestures for a longer period of time than children who present typical development (TD). AIM: to verify the performance of children with DS regarding their communicative profile (verbal, oral and gestural) during a play situation and a spontaneous interaction with an adult. METHODS: 28 children with DS were studied in two different play situations: with a speech-language therapist and with the adult caregiver. Pragmatic theories were used to analyse the data. To determine the statistical significance of the results, the statistical tests of Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon and the confidence interval were used with a significance of 5%. RESULTS: the verbal communication mean was used mostly during the interaction with the caregivers and the gestural communication mean was used mostly during the interaction with the therapists. CONCLUSION: considering that the verbal communication mean is the one which is socially more used, the play situation with the caregiver was the most effective. However, although less verbal communicative acts were produced during the interaction with the speech-language therapist, the child used gestures to communicate, that is, the lack or little verbal communication did not stop the child from communicating with the interlocutor.