[The emergence of expressive communication in the child with Down syndrome].

BACKGROUND

expressive communication in the child with Down syndrome (DS).

AIM: this study had as a purpose the qualitative and quantitative analyses of the different forms of communication in children with DS; the emergence of oral expression and its relationship with the use of gestures; the development of gestures and their qualification; the effectiveness of the dialectic-didactic method, based on the clinical method proposed by Piaget, as a form of speech-language intervention.

METHOD: participants of this study were eight children with DS (ages between 33 and 52 months at the beginning of the research) - four composing the research group (RG) and four composing the control group one (CG1); and four children with normal development ND (ages between 14 and 16 months at the beginning of the research) - control group number two (CG2). All children presented cognitive development classified between the final sensory motor stage and the beginning of the pre-operational stage, and were assessed three times during a period of 12 months: initial, after six months and after twelve months. All assessments were recorded and transcribed. Toys, appropriate to the cognitive stage of the children, were used as materials during the assessments. The therapeutic process, exclusively for the RG, consisted of 40 therapy sessions, using similar materials to those used at during the assessments.

RESULTS

children in the RG developed better than children in CG1. Children who expressed themselves better were those who presented a better cognitive development.

CONCLUSION

it was possible to confirm the effectiveness of the dialectic-didactic method as a therapy method, shown through the language development of the RG when compared to GC1.