ABSTRACT
Purpose:
to analyze family counseling procedures performed in public rehabilitation services for hearing impaired children with regard to parents perspective.
Methods:
twenty-one parents, whose children with hearing impairment receive speech-language therapy at public services, have been interview. The instrument used for data collection, was a questionnaire with open and multiple choice questions about frequency of family counseling, exploring those issues which were discussed in more depth and the main comprehension difficulties pointed out. The answers were categorized and organized in a digital worksheet in order to do the descriptive analysis.
Results:
a total of 100% parents claimed to receive counseling, of those, 90.5% refer that this is done once a week. Among the issues brought up in counseling are: 90,5% aspects regarding language, speech and communication development, 81% regarding use, working and maintenance of hearing aids for their children, 47,6% regarding school and 52,4% regarding hearing and its impairment. Parents say that they do not to feel any difficulty in comprehending the professional´s oral instructions (95,2%) and 100% report making use of these instructions.
Conclusion:
counseling procedures performed in public rehabilitation services are deemed efficient, since they provide parents with information about topics present in the literature and these are thoroughly discussed in every counseling appointment. The procedure also enables parents to apply their acquired knowledge, as a continuing strategy throughout the therapy process in their family environment, thereby enhancing the child's development.
Keywords:
Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences; Deafness; Child Guidance
