PURPOSE: to submit considerations on the possibilities of speech-language intervention for the promotion and maintenance of child health, as well as parameters for early identification of language, voice, speech and hearing disorders in the childhood. METHOD: a cross-sectional study with 65 children enrolled in public schools in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre (RS, Brazil), no history of evaluation or therapy and referred by the nucleus of tutoring school for suspected speech disorder, together with data from the literature related to speech, oral language, writing and speech in promoting child health. RESULTS: from the 53 children actually interviewed, 39 (73.6%) were male. The mean age was 8.8 years (sd = 2.1). No association was found between gender and occurrence of oral habits (PR = 1.13, CI 95% 0.36-3.59), nor between siblings and present oral habits (p = 0.18). When asked about their hearing acuity, 4 (4.7%) reported hearing difficulties without prior evaluation or diagnosis. All children were referred for evaluation by the school speech-language history of learning difficulties of reading and writing and oral communication disorders perceived by the teachers, such difficulties were confirmed in 100% of the cases. CONCLUSION: it is necessary to have an exchange of experience among teachers and speech therapists, in order to promote children development and integrate them more effectively in the school environment, whether in relation to reading and writing or improving oral communication, that is highly demanded in contemporary society.
Language Development; Epidemiology; Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences; Child Health; Speech; Learning
