Intervenção bilíngue: percepção dos pais quanto a mudanças na comunicação com seus filhos surdos / Bilíngual intervention: parents perception on changes communication with their deaf children

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2010

RESUMO

INTRODUCTION: Studies indicate the importance of Deaf children acquiring Sign Language as early as possible for purposes of language, cognitive, social and emotional development. However, few children have access to this in the family environment, since 95% of Deaf children have hearing parents. A program of bilíngual intervention for Deaf children that offers the use of Sign Language as a first language (L1) and written and spoken Portuguese as a second language (L2) can provide children with a favorable environment for their development. This research aimed to analyze a program of Bilíngual intervention for Deaf children from the viewpoint of their hearing parents, with reference to the support they received from the professionals involved and the communication with their children before and after participation in the program. METHODS: A semi-structured interview was designed, covering the following aspects: family trajectory from the moment when it suspected the deafness to the moment when it entered the Bilíngual program; means and quality of communication between family members and the Deaf children; conception of Deafness; and family relationship. Interviews were conducted with 17 hearing mothers and 1 hearing father of Deaf children aged between 5 and 7 years old, who participated in the program for at least two years. The methodology included quantitative and qualitative analyses of the data gathered during the interviews. A 0 to 10 scale was translated and adapted for the parents to grade their children in communicative situations before and after participation in the bilíngual program. The results of the evaluations underwent statistical treatment. The interviews were qualitatively analyzed using the Discourse of the Collective Subject, selecting the key expressions and central ideas of the individual discourses of all participating parents. RESULTS: With regard to the suspicion of Deafness, the results indicated that mothers were responsible in 38.9% of cases, followed by fathers (22.2%) and doctors and other family members in the remaining cases. Children were aged 12.3 months on average at the moment of the suspicion of Deafness, and 19.91 months on average at the moment of the diagnosis. For most parents the first contact with Deaf adults and the learning of Sign Language were provided by the Bilíngual program. There was significant improvement in parents opinion in relation to the communication and relationship with their Deaf children. The results also showed an acceptance level of Sign Language by parents of 100%. As for parents fluency in Sign Language, 77.8% self-evaluated with a score above 7. There also occurred positive changes for all parents in the dynamics of family life and as to the expectation of their Deaf childrens future. Parents Discourses of the Collective Subject revealed the impact they suffered upon receiving the diagnosis of their childrens Deafness, the improvement observed by them in the communication with their children, and between their children and other relatives. The results equally demonstrated the importance of contact with Deaf adults and the positive changes that took place in their lives and in their childrens lives as a result of their participation in the program. CONCLUSIONS: The Bilíngual program promoted improvements in communication between Deaf children and their hearing family members, in childrens behavior, in the intra-family relationship, in hearing parents expectation of their Deaf childrens future and in families quality of life

ASSUNTO(S)

sign language surdez linguagem de sinais comunicação deafness família family linguagem communication language multilinguismo multilíngualism

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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