[Alphabetization and rehabilitation of reading/writing disorders through a phonetic-visual-articulatory method]

Abstract

Background: Alphabetization and rehabilitation of reading/writing disorders through a phonetic-visual-articulatory method (Método das Boquinhas - Jardini, 1997). This methodology combines neuropsychological inputs, such as sounds/phonemes, letters/graphemes to the visual representation of mouth position/articulemes.

Aim: To alphabetize and/or rehabilitate children who presented reading/writing disorders, of varied etiologies, with consistent short-term results, in a combined intervention with a speech-language pathologists and a psycho-pedagogue.

Method: Participants of this study were 30 children, with the diagnoses of dyslexia, ADHA, mild cognitive retardation, infant psychoses and borderline behavior, some of which presented comorbidities. Children ranged between 7 and 10 years of age, all presenting at least a six-month delay in regular schooling. The children along with their parents and teachers took part in the research. Parents and teachers assessed the children through a multiple choice questionnaire at the beginning of treatment (T0), three (T1) and six months after intervention (T2), according to parameters of reading, reading comprehension, spelling, blackboard copying, attention, concentration and confidence for learning. The questionnaire qualified children as incapable, intermediate and capable for learning in each of the assessed parameter. The adopted therapeutic approach was the application of a phonetic-visual-articulatory method, with two weekly sessions with a speech-language pathologist and a psycho-pedagogue. Besides the therapeutic interventions, children continued to attend regular school.

Results: An expressive development was observed for all of the assessed parameters, according to parents and teachers. After the first 3 months of intervention, the performance of the children was classified at an intermediate level of learning and after 6 months they were considered as being capable for learning in each of the assessed parameters. These results not only favored a better performance at school, but also raised the children's self-esteem in terms of learning.

Conclusion: After 6 months of intervention with the phonetic-visual-articulatory methodology children were able to continue with their learning process in a regular school, following the performance of the other members of class.