Cátia Crivelenti de Figueiredo Walter

Avaliação de um programa de comunicação alternativa e ampliada para mães de adolescentes com autismo

O objetivo do presente estudo foi de avaliar os efeitos de um programa de Comunicacao Alternativa e Ampliada (CAA) no contexto familiar de pessoas com autismo. O programa, denominado ProCAAF, foi aplicado mediante a real necessidade dos familiares em estabelecer comunicacao eficaz com seus filhos, mediante as necessidades apresentadas no contexto familiar. O estudo analisou os efeitos da aplicacao da CAA e registrou as modificacoes ocorridas no comportamento comunicativo dos familiares com seus filhos. Fizeram parte do estudo seis participantes, sendo tres participantes familiares (Pfs), representado pelas maes e seus respectivos filhos, denominados de participantes alunos (Pas), com diagnostico de autismo, nao-verbal e/ou fala nao funcional. Para verificar os efeitos do ProCAAF, foi empregado um delineamento de multiplas sondagens entre as maes e seus respectivos filhos (as). Os dados quantitativos foram analisados mediante o desempenho das maes na utilizacao da CAA com seus filhos, considerando os niveis de apoio e suporte oferecido pela pesquisadora. Os resultados demonstraram que as maes aprenderam a utilizar a CAA com seus filhos no contexto familiar, conseguindo suprir algumas das prioridades comunicativas determinadas previamente. Os dados qualitativos foram analisados mediante as respostas obtidas em questionario aplicado em periodo anterior e posterior a intervencao, demonstrando significativa mudanca em relacao a competencia comunicativa dos participantes com autismo. E recomendada a implementacao desse programa em outros contextos.

Procedimentos e recursos de ensino para o aluno com deficiência: o que tem sido disseminado nos trabalhos do GT 15 da ANPED sobre estes temas?

The purpose of this paper was to analyze 37 papers regarding teaching procedures and resources designed for students with special needs presented at ANPEd Special Education Work Group, during the 1996-2000 period. These articles represent 17% of the 216 papers presented in the last 15 annual ANPEd meetings. Vygotsky social historical perspective served as the theoretical basis for the majority of the studies, especially those concerning education for the deaf. Students with intellectual disabilities were the target population of most studies, followed by students with deafness, mainly during the 1996-2000 period; papers about physical, visual and multiple disabilities were less frequent. Descriptive studies, focusing on qualitative data, involving both case and ethnographic investigations constitute the majority of the articles. Experimental studies included group design as well as single subject designs. The articles were eloquent in both showing the need for teachers to pay more attention to the learning process than to the product of learning and in emphasizing the critical role of mediation. The development process of students with disabilities does not occur in the same way as their typically developing peers. This occurs mainly because of the lack of learning opportunities given to students with special needs, rather than the disabling condition.

Vocabulary comprehension and strategies in name construction among children using aided communication

Abstract Vocabulary learning reflects the language experiences of the child, both in typical and atypical development, although the vocabulary development of children who use aided communication may differ from children who use natural speech. This study compared the performance of children using aided communication with that of peers using natural speech on two measures of vocabulary knowledge: comprehension of graphic symbols and labeling of common objects. There were 92 participants not considered intellectually disabled in the aided group. The reference group consisted of 60 participants without known disorders. The comprehension task consisted of 63 items presented individually in each participant’s graphic system, together with four colored line drawings. Participants were required to indicate which drawing corresponded to the symbol. In the expressive labelling task, 20 common objects presented in drawings had to be named. Both groups indicated the correct drawing for most of the items in the comprehension tasks, with a small advantage for the reference group. The reference group named most objects quickly and accurately, demonstrating that the objects were common and easily named. The aided language group named the majority correctly and in addition used a variety of naming strategies; they required more time than the reference group. The results give insights into lexical processing in aided communication and may have implications for aided language intervention.

Comunicação alternativa para alunos com Autismo no ensino regular

The paper describes a stage of a research project about Alternative Communication for students with autism in metropolitan schools classrooms in Rio de Janeiro. The purposes of the study were both to report and to discuss the needs and desires of elementary school teachers who work in the resource rooms offering specialized educational service and participating of the inclusion process of students with autism. Teachers attended to a theoretical-practicum course about the use of adapted PECS, an Alternative Communication system that functions by the exchange of pictures, and is specially tailored for students with autism. By the end of the course, the participants were asked about their needs and desires related to the employment of this resource in the regular classroom. The results showed that the majority of the teachers presents intention for better communication with their students , expressing, nonetheless, the need for both support from specialized teachers and the active participation of all people involved with the inclusion process. The participants considered that Alternative Communication should be introduced first in the resource rooms and later on in the regular classroom, as well.

Communication aid provision and use among children and adolescents developing aided communication: an international survey

Abstract A fundamental requirement of a supportive language development for young children who need aided communication is that an aided communication system is made available and its use is supported. There is limited information about the age at which children are typically provided with a communication aid or about how aided communication is used in everyday situations. Using questionnaire-based interview data, this study investigated (a) the pattern of provision of communication aids to 84 children and adolescents, (b) parents’ and professionals’ evaluation of the quality of communication across contexts, and (c) availability and use of aided communication in these contexts. The age at which the participants received their first aided system varied considerably across the group; however, most were considerably older than the age at which children with typical development usually begin to speak. Parents and professionals rated most everyday situations as good communication situations but reported that the participants did not have their main form of expressive language available in many of these situations, or did not use it much. Parents rated their child’s education in relation to aided language positively, but many professionals indicated that they had limited knowledge about the participant’s use of aided communication outside of the school environment, or about the parents’ attitudes. The study gives insights into the language learning situation of children and adolescents who develop aided communication.

As Contribuições do Uso da Comunicação Alternativa no Processo de Inclusão Escolar de um Aluno com Transtorno do Espectro do Autismo

This study is the continuation of a larger research aimed to implement a training program offered to the teachers of Rio de Janeiro, working in the Specialized Education Service to introduce the use of Adapted-PECS system to the students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). At the end of the study, questions were raised, which originated this research, and were divided into two studies: the first one was the follow-up of the major research and aimed to verify the effectiveness and continued use of Adapted-PECS by the teacher with the student with ASD. It was conducted in a Multifuncional Resources classroom in RJ with the participation of the teacher and the student with ASD as study subjects. Data was collected in seven sections, which were analyzed from a record protocol of support levels offered in the phases of Adapted-PECS. The results showed continuity in the use of the system by the teacher. Study II aimed to analyze communicative interactions of the same student in Study I with a teacher and a trainee in the regular classroom environment. A series of 10 observation sessions and intervention were conducted to verify the communicative acts, which were categorized and arranged in tables. The results showed higher communicative interaction with the student and the trainee in the intervention phase, in addition to generalize the use of adapted-PECS in the regular classroom. It was concluded that communication is one of the key factors for effective school inclusion of a student with ASD.

Estratégias de ensino de professoras com deficiência no nível superior: formando futuros profissionais

A producao cientifica acerca da Educacao Especial tem se ampliado de forma exponencial nas ultimas decadas.Esta literatura, ,tem mostrado, de forma exaustiva, o insucesso da pessoa com deficiencia nos âmbitos educacional e social (Viana, 2006). O presente estudo, contudo,pretende mostrar o sucesso profissional de pessoas com deficiencia. Mais especificamente, a presente investigacao visa analisar as estrategias de ensinodedocentes com deficiencia utilizadas em suas aulas. Participaram desta pesquisa quatro professoras com deficiencia. Foram conduzidas entrevistas semiestruturadas com as professoras e os dados foram submetidos a analise de conteudo. . Os resultados mostraram que os professores universitarios com deficiencia escolheram essa profissao no intuito de transmitir suas vivencias aos seus alunos. Elas desenvolvem atividades praticas, debates, utilizam videos e recursos multimidia nas suas aulas, indicam a leitura de textos para os seus alunos que serve como suporte para suas aulas teoricas, buscando aproximar a teoria e a pratica.