Thaís dos Santos Gonçalves

Habilidades de consciência fonológica em crianças de escolas pública e particular durante o processo de alfabetização

PURPOSE: To verify and compare phonological awareness (PA) abilities of public and private school children in the literacy process. METHODS: A test of phonological awareness (PA) was applied in 70 children in the first grade of elementary school (35 students from public school and 35 from private school) at the beginning (pretest) and end (posttest) of the school year. RESULTS: All children showed improvement in their performance when compared pre and posttest. In the pretest, the best scores were observed in the syllable level and in rhymes; however, comparing the pre with the posttests, the phonemic level showed the most significant improvement rates in the whole sample. The private school children had higher scores in most tests applied, as well as a higher total number of points compared to public school children in the pre and posttest. There was a decrease in the difference of the PA performance between schools at the end of the school year. CONCLUSION: All children showed improvement in PA skills with literacy process, although children from private schools had better performance, especially in the pretest, which can be a sign of the socioeconomic influence in the development of these skills. Syllabic and rhymes skills were developed before the literacy process and phonemic awareness skills were developed concurrently with this process. Also this study lays emphasis on the importance of the instruction in public schools in reducing the discrepancy between the abilities of these schools at the end of the school year, in this sample.

Sinais preditores de depressão em escolares com transtorno de aprendizagem

Purpose: to compare signs of depression among children with and without learning disorders, and also to investigate whether there are gender-based differences in depressive signs between these groups. Methods: 20 children with learning disorders and 20 children with a typical school performance, aged between 9 and 12 years old, were studied. The investigation of the depression signs was performed by applying the Child Depression Inventory. Results: children diagnosed with learning disorders have a higher frequency of depressive symptoms compared to children without learning difficulties. Conclusion: the signs of depression varied according to age. Gender comparison revealed that girls had a higher incidence of depressive symptoms, especially in the group of children with the disorder.

Relationship between lead in the blood and performance in the abilities from hearing process

INTRODUCAO: A contaminacao por chumbo afeta todos os sistemas do corpo humano, principalmente o sistema nervoso. OBJETIVO: Investigar se ha correlacao entre o nivel de plumbemia e o desempenho em testes do processamento auditivo. METODO: Estudo retrospectivo. 73 criancas, com idade entre 7 a 15 anos, residentes em uma area onde houve emissao de particulas de chumbo acima do permitido, com nivel de plumbemia maior ou igual a 10 microgramas/dL, exames audiologicos (audiometria e timpanometria) dentro dos padroes de normalidade. Para avaliar o processamento auditivo foram utilizados o Teste de Fusao Auditiva-Revisado (AFT-R), subteste 1, e o Teste Dicotico de Digitos (etapa de integracao binaural). Foi utilizado o teste de Spearman para verificar a correlacao entre os dados. RESULTADOS: O nivel de plumbemia variou de 10 a 30,2microgamas/dL, sendo a media correspondente a 15,8 microgramas/dL (desvio-padrao de 4,8). Dessas criancas, 60,3% apresentaram desempenho ruim no teste AFT-R, ou seja, resultados superiores a 60ms. Quanto ao Teste Dicotico de Digitos, 46,2% das criancas apresentaram desempenho ruim para a orelha direita e 67,3% apresentaram desempenho ruim na orelha esquerda. Conforme o resultado do teste de correlacao de Spearman, nao houve significância estatistica entre o nivel de chumbo e os resultados dos testes do processamento auditivo. CONCLUSAO: Nao houve correlacao entre o nivel de plumbemia e o desempenho nas habilidades do processamento auditivo, entretanto criancas contaminadas pelo chumbo apresentaram desempenho inferior nas habilidades do processamento auditivo.Introduction: The contamination by lead affects all the nervous systems from the human body, mostly the nervous system. Objective: Investigate if there is correlation between the blood lead levels and the performance in tests of hearing process. Method: Retrospective study. 73 children, with ages between 7 to 15 years, residents in a area where happened emission of lead above the permitted, with level of blood lead level bigger or equal to 10 micrograms/dL, audiological exams (audiometry and tympanometry) inside the normality patterns. To evaluate the hearing process were used the Auditory Fusion Test-Revised (AFT-R), subtest 1, and the dichotic test of digits (binaural integration stage). Was used the Spearman test to verify the correlation between the data. Results: The blood lead level varieties from 10 to 30,2 micrograms/dL, being the average corresponding to 15,8 micrograms/dL (standard deviation of 4,8). From those children, 60,3% presented a bad performance for the right ear and 67,3% presented a bad performance of the left ear. According to the results of the tests of correlation of Spearman, there were no significant statistical between the level of lead and the results of hearing processing tests. Conclusion: There were no correlation between the blood lead level and the performance in the abilities of the hearing process; however the contaminated children by the lead presented a lower performance in the abilities of the hearing processing.

Relação entre nível de chumbo no sangue e desempenho nas habilidades do processamento auditivo

INTRODUCAO: A contaminacao por chumbo afeta todos os sistemas do corpo humano, principalmente o sistema nervoso. OBJETIVO: Investigar se ha correlacao entre o nivel de plumbemia e o desempenho em testes do processamento auditivo. METODO: Estudo retrospectivo. 73 criancas, com idade entre 7 a 15 anos, residentes em uma area onde houve emissao de particulas de chumbo acima do permitido, com nivel de plumbemia maior ou igual a 10 microgramas/dL, exames audiologicos (audiometria e timpanometria) dentro dos padroes de normalidade. Para avaliar o processamento auditivo foram utilizados o Teste de Fusao Auditiva-Revisado (AFT-R), subteste 1, e o Teste Dicotico de Digitos (etapa de integracao binaural). Foi utilizado o teste de Spearman para verificar a correlacao entre os dados. RESULTADOS: O nivel de plumbemia variou de 10 a 30,2microgamas/dL, sendo a media correspondente a 15,8 microgramas/dL (desvio-padrao de 4,8). Dessas criancas, 60,3% apresentaram desempenho ruim no teste AFT-R, ou seja, resultados superiores a 60ms. Quanto ao Teste Dicotico de Digitos, 46,2% das criancas apresentaram desempenho ruim para a orelha direita e 67,3% apresentaram desempenho ruim na orelha esquerda. Conforme o resultado do teste de correlacao de Spearman, nao houve significância estatistica entre o nivel de chumbo e os resultados dos testes do processamento auditivo. CONCLUSAO: Nao houve correlacao entre o nivel de plumbemia e o desempenho nas habilidades do processamento auditivo, entretanto criancas contaminadas pelo chumbo apresentaram desempenho inferior nas habilidades do processamento auditivo.Introduction: The contamination by lead affects all the nervous systems from the human body, mostly the nervous system. Objective: Investigate if there is correlation between the blood lead levels and the performance in tests of hearing process. Method: Retrospective study. 73 children, with ages between 7 to 15 years, residents in a area where happened emission of lead above the permitted, with level of blood lead level bigger or equal to 10 micrograms/dL, audiological exams (audiometry and tympanometry) inside the normality patterns. To evaluate the hearing process were used the Auditory Fusion Test-Revised (AFT-R), subtest 1, and the dichotic test of digits (binaural integration stage). Was used the Spearman test to verify the correlation between the data. Results: The blood lead level varieties from 10 to 30,2 micrograms/dL, being the average corresponding to 15,8 micrograms/dL (standard deviation of 4,8). From those children, 60,3% presented a bad performance for the right ear and 67,3% presented a bad performance of the left ear. According to the results of the tests of correlation of Spearman, there were no significant statistical between the level of lead and the results of hearing processing tests. Conclusion: There were no correlation between the blood lead level and the performance in the abilities of the hearing process; however the contaminated children by the lead presented a lower performance in the abilities of the hearing processing.

Development of a CD-ROM on written language for the continuing education of elementary school teachers

Distance education has emerged to minimize the anxiety of many professionals who need to update their knowledge, but do not have the time and opportunity to travel to educational centers. Objectives To describe the development of a CD-ROM to provide distance continuing education to basic school teachers that addresses issues related to written language. Material and Methods Previously, a script was developed with themes related to the acquisition and development of written language. Subsequently, a technical team transformed the texts in multimedia language. Results The titles of each content area addressed are available on buttons and links. The files can be viewed in a linear sequence, allowing the teacher to start learning at the desired moment and go straight to the file that he or she wants to access. Videos that show practical applications of the concepts available in text are included. Conclusions Brazil is a developing country. The use of technologies for education reduces cultural isolation among education professionals. It is necessary to focus on making teaching materials for distance education. In order to provide an effective learning environment, the learners reality should be considered. A multidisciplinary team should prepare the materials. The development of educational material for distance education on the acquisition and development of written language seems not only appropriate, but also warranted to provide professional growth opportunity for teachers who need time flexibility and/or live far away from academic centers.

Effects of a Phonological Reading and Writing Remediation Program in Students with Dyslexia: Intervention for Specific Learning Disabilities

Objective: To determine the effects of a phonological remediation reading and writing program in individuals with dyslexia, through behavioral and objective evaluations. Patients and Methods: Twenty children diagnosed with dyslexia, aged 8–14 years, were included in this study. Group I (GI) was composed of 10 children who took part in the program, and group II (GII) consisted of 10 subjects who did not take the remediation. The pre-testing evaluated phonological awareness, rapid naming, working memory, reading and writing of words and nonwords, thematic writing, and auditory evoked potential – P300. The type of stimulus used was the speech (20% of rare stimulus and 80% of frequent stimulus), intensity of 80 dBNa. The rare stimulus was the syllable /da/, and the frequent stimulus was the syllable /ba/. Next, the Phonological Reading and Writing Remediation Program was applied in 24 cumulative sessions, twice a week, each with a duration of 30 min. In the post-testing (at the end of the program), all the tests of the pre-testing were reapplied. Results: There was a statistically significant difference (between pre- and post-testing) in phonological awareness, rapid naming, working memory, thematic writing, writing and reading words and nonwords, as well as in the latency of the P3 component of P300 in GI, while GII maintained the same difficulties. Conclusion: The phonological remediation program showed to be a therapeutic method of fast beneficial effects in written language of individuals with dyslexia. However, the wide age range and the size of the sample could be considered a limitation of this study – it interferes with the generalization of results.

Sinais sugestivos de estresse infantil em escolares com transtorno de aprendizagem

Objetivo: comparar sinais sugestivos de estresse entre criancas com transtornos de aprendizagem (com e sem intervencao fonoaudiologica) e em criancas sem qualquer dificuldade escolar, alem de verificar sinais sugestivos de estresse entre os grupos de acordo com o sexo dos participantes. Metodos: participaram do estudo 25 criancas com transtorno de aprendizagem, 10 com diagnostico, porem sem intervencao e 15 em intervencao fonoaudiologica, e 25 criancas sem queixas de aprendizagem. Em todos os grupos foi aplicada uma escala de estresse infantil. Resultados: observou-se que 43% das criancas com transtorno de aprendizagem sem intervencao, 56% das criancas com transtorno de aprendizagem em terapia e 83% das criancas sem o transtorno, apresentaram sinais de alerta. Estas diferencas nao foram estatisticamente significantes. Tambem nao foi encontrada esta diferenca entre os sexos. Conclusao: nos dois grupos houve alta frequencia de sinais de alerta para o estresse infantil, mostrando que este pode nao ser um fator determinante no desempenho escolar na amostra estudada.

Concepções de professoras de ensino fundamental sobre os transtornos de aprendizagem

Purpose to investigate the knowledge and concepts of elementary school teachers about learning difficulties, learning disabilities, and dyslexia. Methods this is a cross-sectional study with 31 elementary school teachers in a city in the interior of the state of Sao Paulo. A survey was conducted through a questionnaire with dissertative questions. The questionnaire has questions regarding the teacher’s knowledge about the definition, causes, and manifestations of learning disorders. Data were analyzed quantitatively by comparative analysis, using the Chi-Square Statistical Test to compare the knowledge of teachers in both public and private schools, and of teachers with and without prior knowledge on the topic. The significance level of 5% was adopted. Results in general, the teachers demonstrated difficulties for defining disorders, identifying their causes, and pointing out their manifestations. Separating the teachers by type of school (public or private) and prior knowledge of the subject, there was no statistically significant difference in most of the answers. Conclusion teachers lack knowledge about learning disorders and therefore need orientation to effectively work with these students.

PROCESSAMENTO TEMPORAL, FONOLOGIA E ESCRITA EM CRIANÇAS CONTAMINADAS POR CHUMBO

Purpose : analyze the impact of temporal auditory processing in writing and phonology of children with lead poisoning.Method : this study included 24 children, both genders, with a blood lead level equal or higher than 10μg/dL, without hearing impairment. Were assessments the spontaneous writing, immediate auditory memory, auditory discrimination, phonological awareness and auditory processing screening. Were assessments the spontaneous writing, immediate auditory memory, auditory discrimination, phonological awareness and auditory processing screening. Children were divided in two groups (GE – children with exchange of the consonant surd by sound in writing, GC – children without alterations in writing).Results : in GE, eight children (67%) had results abnormal in auditory discrimination and in PCF, the not expected performance in the AFT-R (subtest 1). In GC, only one child (8%) had results abnormal in auditory discrimination, and in PCF; the not expected performance in AFT-R (subtest 1). Fisher’s Exact Test indicated significant difference between groups in the skills of auditory memory and auditory discrimination.Conclusion : there was no significant difference between performances in screening of temporal auditory processing in the groups. Children contaminated by lead and alterations in writing had worst performance in tests of phonological awareness, auditory discrimination, auditory memory.