Speech and language assessment of preschool children with blindness and visual impairment

V magistrskem delu sem raziskovala povezavo med razvojem govora in jezika ter slepoto in slabovidnostjo. Osredotočila sem se predvsem na razvoj govora in jezika otrok s slepoto in slabovidnostjo v starosti od nič do šest let. Motnje vida vplivajo na razvoj otroka že takoj po rojstvu. Videči otroci že od začetka iščejo kontakt z ljudmi, otroku s slepoto ali slabovidnostjo pa je to onemogočeno ali omejeno. Razlike v razvoju se torej začnejo pojavljati že v prelingvističnem obdobju. V teoretičnem delu naloge sem podrobneje predstavila razvoj govora in jezika otrok s slepoto in slabovidnostjo od rojstva do šestega leta starosti. Osredotočila sem se predvsem na prelingvistično obdobje, artikulacijo posameznih glasov, pojav prvih besed, razvoj pojmov in besednega zaklada, pojavljanje eholalij ter neverbalno komunikacijo. Predstavila sem tudi prevedeni del Oregonske lestvice, ki se nanaša na razvoj govora in jezika otrok s slepoto in slabovidnostjo. Opredelila sem tudi vlogo logopeda pri razvoju jezika in govora otrok s slepoto in slabovidnostjo. Empirični del naloge sem oblikovala na podlagi študije govora in jezika dveh slabovidnih predšolskih otrok. Ocenjevala sem njun spontani govor ter pripovedovanje znane zgodbe. V raziskavi sem se osredotočila predvsem na najpogosteje uporabljene besedne vrste in povprečno dolžino povedi. Rezultati so pokazali, da sta tako deklica kot deček pri spontanem govoru in obnovi zgodbe uporabljala največ členkov (kar pripisujem zaprtemu tipu vprašanj) in glagolov. Dekličina povprečna dolžina povedi pri spontanem govoru je bila 4,8 besede, pri obnovi zgodbe pa 5 besed. Dečkova povprečna dolžina povedi pri spontanem govoru je bila 5,2 besede, pri obnovi zgodbe pa le 3,9 besede. Deklica je uporabljala daljše povedi pri obnovi zgodbe Rdeča kapica, medtem ko je deček daljše povedi tvoril pri spontanem govoru. Na podlagi teoretičnih izhodišč in dobljenih rezultatov sem oblikovala tudi predloge za nadaljnje delo na področju govora in jezika slepih in slabovidnih otrok.In my thesis I researched the connection between the development of speech and language on one hand and visual impairment on the other. I focused primarily on the development of speech and language of preschool children with visual impairment (aged from 0 to 6 years). Visual impairment influences significantly the child’s development from his/her birth on. Sighted children make eye contact from the very beginningthis is, however, impossible or only possible to a lesser degree in children with visual impairment. The differences in development already start in the prelinguistic period. In the theoretical part of my study I presented in detail the development of speech and language of children with visual impairment from their birth to the age of 6 years. I concentrated mostly on the prelinguistic period, the articulation of individual voices, the occurrence of first words, the development of concepts and vocabulary, the occurrence of echolalia, and non-verbal communication. I introduced the translated and rearranged part of Oregon project which refers to development of speech and language in children with visual impairment. Finally, I defined the role of the speech and language therapist in the development of speech and language in children with visual impairment. The empirical part of the study is based on a case study of speech and language of two preschool children with visual impairment. I evaluated their spontaneous speech and narration of a known story. In my research I focused on the most commonly used parts of speech and the mean length of utterance (MLU). It was shown that both the girl and the boy the most frequently had used particles (due to closed type questions) and verbs in their spontaneous speech and in the narration of a known story. The girl’s MLU was 4,8 words in her spontaneous speech and 5 words in the narration of a known story, and the boy’s MLU 5,2 words in his spontaneous speech and 3,9 words in the narration of a known story. The girl used longer utterances in the narration of a known story while the boy formed longer utterances in his spontaneous speech. Theoretical bases and the results obtained enabled me to propose some suggestions for further development of speech and language of children with visual impairment