Accompanying persons of patients at a speech-language pathology school-clinic: their knowledge about the work of speech-language pathologists

• Grant number: 06/06065-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2007
• End date: February 29, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Speech Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Simone Aparecida Lopes-Herrera
• Grantee: Ana Gabriela Lopes Pimentel
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru (FOB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The speech pathologist works by himself, in public and private institutions. He is responsible for the promotion of health, evaluation, diagnosis, advising, rehabilitation and habilitation therapy and improvement on the speech and audiological aspects of the central peripherical hearing function, vestibular function, oral and written language, voice, fluency, speech articulation, orofacial and miofunctional system, cervical and swallowing. This professional can also develop jobs in teaching, research, management, clinical, scholar and company assistance as well as hospitals and other institutions. Not many studies on the knowledge of the population about this profession have been found. This study will be performed at the Clinic-School of the Department of Speech Pathology of USP in Bauru, which assists patients who come spontaneously and others who are referred by other professionals or Health Care Centers, Day Cares and schools from the city and surroundings. It is important to say that the patients’ accompanies are essential for the therapy development, given that many patients are not able to speak for themselves either because they are children or have neurological problems. Accompanies, sometimes take the patients, answer the anamnesis question and encourage patients to perform exercises recommended by the speech pathologists. This study aims to find out whether the people who have most contact with patients from a clinic-school need to know about the work of the speech pathologist. It also shows the value of this professional to the community. Specific questionnaires will be applied to accompanies, patients and control group. (AU)