ABSTRACT:
The aim of this paper was to identify which augmentative and alternative communication systems interfere with the language skills of children with cerebral palsy. The guiding question was: What augmentative and alternative communication methods interfere with the language skills of children with cerebral palsy? The population was defined as children with a medical diagnosis of cerebral palsy. Augmentative and/or alternative communication was considered as an intervention. Communicative skills were considered the outcome. Papers were selected in Medline, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and EMBASE and in secondary databases, using the terms "Cerebral Palsy" and "Infant" and "Communication Aids for Disabled" and "Language Development". The terms were included with their related terms and in the language indicated and required by each database. There was no language restriction, regardless of the year of publication until April 2019, which presented in the title, abstract or body of the article a relation with the research objective and the eligibility criteria. After data extraction, the measurements were transformed into percentages and described in a qualitative synthesis. Four hundred and twenty-seven articles were found in the databases, and after analysis 6 articles were included. The hand planks were the most used by the studies found, although their constructions were made through a computerized symbolic system. In all studies found, improvements in children’s communication skills were identified, regardless of the resource and mode of access used. All augmentative and/or alternative communication methods used in the studies showed benefits for the communicative skills of children with cerebral palsy.
KEYWORDS:
Cerebral Palsy; Child; Communication; Communication aids for people with disabilities
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