PURPOSE: To analyze the expressive abilities of a group of nonspeaking students with cerebral palsy during game activities. METHODS: Three male students with cerebral palsy, with ages varying from 13 to 16 years, participated in this study. These students presented severe oral communication disability, without any visual, hearing or cognitive deficits. The students attended a special classroom and used alternative communication resources. An interaction situation among the group during six adapted games was filmed. From the transcriptions of the interaction, it was possible to define eight expressive abilities categories of the group. RESULTS: Data showed that the group of students used the following categories of expression to communicate: verbal without help/vocal; verbal with help/nonvocal; nonverbal/vocal; nonverbal/nonvocal + nonverbal/vocal; verbal without help/vocal + nonverbal/vocal; nonverbal/vocal + verbal with help/nonvocal; nd nonverbal/nonvocal + verbal with help/nonvocal. The most frequent categories were nonverbal/nonvocal; verbal with help/nonvocal and nonverbal/nonvocal + nonverbal/vocal. CONCLUSIONS: The games favored the use the different expressive abilities by the group of nonspeaking students with cerebral palsy, as, for example, with the use of representative gestures, facial and corporal expressions, vocalizations, articulate speech, and the use of augmentative and alternative communication board, as well as with the combinations of these abilities. Representative gestures and the facial and corporal expressions were the most frequent abilities used by the group, and therefore professionals should be aware of these expressive possibilities.
Cerebral palsy; Education, special; Play and playthings; Communication
