Early detection and intervention in congenital deaf children inserted in special schools of the city of Salvador / BA

• Main Authors: Carvalho, Lavínia Santos de, Cavalheiro, Laura Giotto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda. 2009-06-01
• Series: International Archives of Otorhinolaryngology
• Subjects: Deafness; Public health; Child development
• Online Access: http://www.arquivosdeorl.org.br/conteudo/acervo_eng.asp?Id=613

Introduction: The hearing loss interferes with the child's linguistic development, impairs its insertion in the society and produces cognitive and emotional consequences in case he or she is not inserted in an early and suitable educational and therapeutic program. Objective: To characterized the early detection process and intervention in children with hearing loss inserted in special schools of the city of Salvador - BA. Method: We evaluated the records and carried out interview with mothers of 22 congenital deaf children aged from six to eight years. Results: The mean age in case of deaf suspicion was of 1.2 years and when inserted to an educational and/or therapeutic treatment program it achieved 3.5 years. 46% of the children use hearing aid and had access to the device aged 3.6 year on average. Only 36.5% undergo phonoaudiologic therapy and 9.1% maintain oral function. Conclusion: The deaf children evaluated had a late access to language and some don't use a hearing aid system or began to use it at more advanced ages and only a few follow phonoaudiological therapy. Therefore, it's necessary to promote the implementation of the public policies intended for the hearing health in the pediatric and neonatal population which enable the integral, universal and quality attention.