RPTF

Screening of communication disorders: pre-school teachers contribute 

 

Ana Rita Costa | Anabela G. Silva

 

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical usefulness (inter-observer reliability and criterion validity) of the Portage Development Board, when applied by pre-school teachers in identifying communication disorders.

Methods: Was requested and obtained the assent to this study to the Department of Bioethics and Medical Ethics, Department of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto. The sample was selected by convenience. This study consisted of three phases: i) adaptation of Portage Development Board and training for educators; iii) assessment of children by speech and language therapist and iv) filling in the forms of signaling by the educators. The results of this assessment made by the educators were then compared with the assessment made by a speech and language therapist.

Results: The sample consisted of children aged 0 to 6 years who had as their mother tongue Portuguese- -European, a total of 26 children from nursery to preschool. The CCI value for the correlation between the results obtained by the educators and the speech and language therapist reveals excellent agreement. The values for the correlation between the results of the assessment made by educators and the results of the evaluation tools of communication (TALC and ALPE) applied by speech and language therapist show a high and statistically significant correlation.

Conclusion: The results suggest that the Portage Development Board may be useful in the early identification of communication disorders by educators. This may allow more effective identification, as well as reducing the time needed to screening and the associated costs. 

 

KEYWORDS: Communication disorders, Communication, Speech, Language, Early intervention