Effectiveness of linguistic intervention in adolescents with Down syndrome

Abstract

Down syndrome (DS) is considered the best known and most frequent intellectual disability. Cognitive development usually occurs in a similar way to the sequence produced in typical development; while the linguistic development is lagging behind it. However, it is expected that language development will benefit from logopedic intervention during adolescence and adulthood. The objective of the present study is to know if there are improvements in the areas of oral language with a non-systematized intervention after the passage of time (5 years) in specific areas of language: morphosyntax, semantics and pragmatics. A longitudinal study was carried out with two temporal moments (2012/2017). The sample consisted of 12 of the subjects with DS, aged between 13 and 21 years. For the evaluation of language areas, the standardized Objective and Criteria Language Battery test (BLOC-C) was used in individual sessions. The results obtained show that there are no significant linguistic differences after five years of linguistic intervention performed by speech therapists in any of the areas evaluated. Taking into account the data obtained, it is necessary to design intervention programs systematized and based on scientific evidence that improve the linguistic characteristics of adolescents with DS, in addition to reflecting on the interventions that are currently carried out.

Keywords

• síndrome de down
• lenguaje
• intervención logopédica
• adolescencia