BACKGROUND: relationship between speech, tonus and non-verbal praxis. AIM: to verify the relationship between speech, tonus and non-verbal praxis of the stomatognathic system in preschoolers. METHOD: 120 children, with ages between 4:0 and 5:11 years, were assessed. This assessment consisted of an anamnesis and a speech-language evaluation. The anamnesis was carried out with each child and was completed with information obtained through a questionnaire filled out by parents or guardians. The speech-language assessment involved: assessment of tonus (resistance), of mobility (execution of isolated movements), praxis of lips and tongue (repetition of sequential movements) and of speech (picture naming). RESULTS: statistically significant findings were: normal tongue tonus in the group of children with normal praxis (p = 0.003*); tongue with altered tonus in the group of children with altered praxis (p = 0.003*) and normal speech in the group of children with normal praxis (p < 0.001). Other observations were: normal lip tonus in the group of children with normal praxis (p = 0.058); altered speech (omission, substitution and distortion) in the group of children with altered lip tonus (p = 0.149), normal speech in the group of children with normal tongue tonus (p = 0.332); altered speech (omission, substitution and distortion) in the group of children with altered lip praxis (p = 0.241). Differences in speech related to gender or age were not observed in the present study. However, children with ages between 4:0 and 4:11 years presented speech alterations in a higher proportion when compared to children with ages between 5:0 and 5:11 years. CONCLUSION: it was not possible to prove the existence of a relationship between tonus and lip praxis, and between lip praxis and speech. A relationship exists between tonus and non-verbal tongue praxis and also between non-verbal tongue praxis and speech.
Articulation Disorders; Stomatognathic System; Preschool; Muscle Tonus
