Práticas de letramento em crianças e adolescentes com mielomeningocele

Abstract

Introduction: Myelomeningocele is a type of open spina bifida, resulting from inadequate closure of the neural tube during the development period, which can cause motor, neurological and cognitive changes. In Brazil, the prevalence of this condition is approximately 1.6 per 1000 live births. Due to the various complications of the condition, the repercussions of the malformation can lead to impairments in oral and written language and, consequently, intervention practices related to literacy in this population can be better explored. Objective: To characterize written language skills in children and adolescents with Myelomeningocele and investigate the effects of literacy practices in this population. Method: Research structured in two studies: (1) cross-sectional to characterize written language skills (phonological processing, reading, and writing) in 09 children and adolescents with Myelomeningocele between 7 and 15 years of age who attend a Specialized Rehabilitation Center and; (2) longitudinal to investigate literacy practices in the target population. Results: In study 1, 6 participants presented deficits in the skills of phonological awareness, rapid automatic naming, phonological working memory, reading, and writing; in study 2, there was a benefit after literacy practices in terms of the skills assessed, with better performance in phonological awareness, rapid color naming, repetition of non-words, reading and writing. Conclusion: Changes in written language in the studied group can harm the educational development of these children and adolescents, however, literacy practices can serve as a protective factor that helps promote the development of reading and writing.