Author(s): Mendes, Ana ; Valente, Ana Rita ; Loureiro, Helena ; Clemêncio, Graça ; Melo, Elsa ; Lousada, Marisa
Date: 2017
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/21909
Origin: Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal
Subject(s): children; screening; health care; prevention; speech-language development
Speech-language disorders in pre-school children is considered a public health problem since its international prevalence is reportedly to be 20%. This study aimed to identify European-Portuguese pre-school children with speech-language disorder through RALF speech-language screening (Rastreio de Linguagem e Fala), in primary health care settings. RALF is a reliable and valid instrument that revealed strong levels of reliability, sensitivity and specificity for European-Portuguese (EP) pre-school children. 10 nurses with more than 6 years of clinical experience in a primary health care centers administered RALF to 37 (5-6 years old) EP children as part of health-child care routine. Results indicate that 21.6% of children did not pass the RALF screen and were referred to an in-depth speech and language assessment. This finding was in agreement with international research and reinforces the need for an early and precocious identification of the speech-language disorder in pre-school children. That is, way before the disorder has installed and has an impact on the academic, social and emotional development. This action-research study also reveals the important of using a valid, reliable, sensitive, and specific, as well as, culturally and linguistically adequate screening instruments by the health professionals as part of health-child care routine in primary health care centers.
