Abstract

PAZO QUINTANA, Telma et al. Valoración logofoniátrica de niñas y niños antes de iniciar el círculo infantil. Rev Cubana Pediatr [online]. 2003, vol.75, n.3, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3119.

Language is more easily acquired in the first years of life and constitutes an important tool for learning. In Cuba there is not a generalized activity that evaluates the status of language before the children entering the child institutions at the preschool stage. This paper presents the experience gained in the implementation of a logophoniatric evaluation as part of the comprehensive medical check-up of 2 584 girls and boys before going to the day care centers in the period ranging from 1996 to 2001. A logophoniatric morbidity rate of 12 % was reported, being dyslalia, speech retardation and stuttering the most frequent logophoniatric disorders found in the 60-month and the 48-59 month age groups, with predominance of males. This evaluation is an alternative for the prevention of oral communication disorders, the language stimulation and the management of family environment for dysphonia and stuttering prophylaxis.

Keywords : MORBIDITY; COMMUNICATION DISORDERS; SPEECH DISORDERS [prevention and control]; AGE FACTORS; SEX DISTRIBUTION.