Diagnosis in the family of the child with stuttering

Abstract

Introduction: stuttering is one of the most striking disorders of communication, with more and worse psychological impact, that affects children from an early age.

Objective: to determine the preparation level of family for the management of children with stuttering.

Method: a cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in the Logofoniatria Consultation at Provincial General Teaching Hospital "Dr. Antonio Luaces Iraola" of Ciego de Avila. The sample was composed of 20 families of children who stutter, aged between 4 and 10 years who regularly attend this Consultation.

Results: 30 % of families maintain an adequate verbal environment, 25 % express an elementary knowledge of the disorder and 15 % do not have any knowledge about stuttering. All families agree that there are necessary –from detection of the disorder– the preparation and the link to the ways and modes of action to promote a proper communication environment, but they not used intentionally psychological resources to stabilize the emotions of children: 25 % of families are patient and wait for the children finish speaking; 20 % ignore them, and 55 % manifest an anxious, desperate, tense behavior regarding the difficulties of their children.

Conclusions: families do not have sufficient knowledge for the correct handling of children who stutter. It is confirmed the need for preparation of families in the essential aspects of this oral disorder, to influence corrective and remedial work of the same