Hearing and language in early childhood: analysis of the effectiveness of a course for child education professionals
Child, Preschool. Child language. Communication Disorders. Child Rearing. Education, Distance.
Introduction: The school environment expands the social life of children in early childhood, allowing the development of their communication skills. The educator is a fundamental agent for the full development of children. Its performance has the potential both to favor communicative skills and to identify possible impairments in their development. However, despite the origin of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences being associated with Education, there is still little collaboration between these areas in Early Childhood. Objective: To analyze the effectiveness of a distance course using Digital Information and Communication Technologies (DICTs) to train professionals in Early Childhood Education on the development of communication. Method: A total of 114 education professionals participated in the research (40 in the first class and 74 in the second class), working in public or private schools. The course was offered through the Google Classroom platform and had its syllabus organized into three modules, the first being typical acquisition of communication, followed by communication disorders, and finally, strategies to favor the development of communication in the educational context. Data collection is based on virtual questionnaires and is divided into three distinct moments, namely: before participation in the course, immediately after completion of the course, and six months after its conclusion. Expected results: In addition to obtaining an overview of the conceptions and doubts of Early Childhood Education professionals regarding the development of communication in early childhood, we intend to contribute to the improvement of a partnership between education professionals and speech therapists.