Communication difficulties perceived by parents of children with developmental disorders.

Ingrid Ya I Sun,Fernanda Dreux Miranda Fernandes

doi:10.1590/2317-1782/201420130024

Ingrid Ya I Sun, Fernanda Dreux Miranda Fernandes

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/2317-1782/201420130024

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Abstract

The child's inclusion in his/her social-cultural context is very important to his/her adaptation and well-being. The family has a major role as a facilitator of this process. Therefore the difficulties of these families in communicating with children with communication disorders are an important issue to be assessed in order to support orientations to families. The present study aimed to identify and compare communication difficulties perceived by parents of children with Down Syndrome (DS), Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Information was gathered with the use of a questionnaire with 24 questions regarding the perception of parents about their child communication disorders and the difficulties they identify. The questions were divided into four domains: 1 - Parents' personal difficulties; 2 - Parents' impression about themselves regarding their child; 3 - Parents' impressions about other persons' reactions to their child and 4 - Parents' impression about their child. Sixty parents were the subjects of this study: 20 had children with DS, 20 with SLI and 20 with ASD. All children had ages between 6 and 12 years. It was possible to observe that there was significant difference between the parents of ASD children with those of DS and SLI on the second, third and fourth domains. The questionnaire is effective to the identification of the communication disorders of ASD children based on their parents' reports but not to other developmental disorders.

Highlights

The child’s inclusion in his/her social-cultural context is very important to his/her adaptation and well-being
The disposition by gender evidences the profile of each diagnosis, with a prevalence of boys especially in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) cases, as it is shown in literature
The objective of this study was to identify and compare the difficulties in communication reported by parents of children, between 6 and 12 years of age, with Down Syndrome (DS), ASD, and Specific Language Impairment (SLI)

Summary

Introduction

The child’s inclusion in his/her social-cultural context is very important to his/her adaptation and well-being. Because of the process of socialization, children expand their vocabulary, as to the number of words and as to the complexity of the concepts used Most important in this process is that language, once acquired, becomes an instrument of thinking and for the regulation of behavior itself[2]. The first effective bond in development is established by the parents and/or caretakers, and it will be responsible for giving meaning to the vocalizations At first, these vocalizations do not have communicative intent[3] but are of great importance, as they constitute the basis for non-verbal language, which, in turn, contributes to the development of the child’s sociocognitive abilities[4]

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