ABSTRACT
There are few Brazilian speech-language pathology studies about patients diagnosed with mitochondrial disease. This is one of the most prevalent inherited metabolic diseases, and its clinical presentation usually includes symptoms that demand speech-language pathology interventions (myofunctional disorders and spoken language acquisition difficulties). This paper explores the possibility of employing a therapeutic approach to this disorder based on augmentative and alternative communication, by describing the results of adopting this approach when working with a child diagnosed with mitochondrial disease. The therapeutic proceedings focused on the social use of language through meaningful and contextualized activities, with the help of photos and pictures from a communication system (Picture Communications Symbols - PCS) illustrating daily activities. The results showed an increase in the functionality of the child's oral language by benefitting his discursive practices, particularly in regard to communicative intention within the interactional context.
Keywords:
Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences; Language; Mitochondrial Diseases; Communication Aids for People with Disabilities