Language and communication in non-verbal children - A Portuguese study
Submitted by:
André Luiz Rauber
Abstract:
In school context, it has been observed that there are disruptive situations, being “inclusive education” an important example (UNESCO, 1994). Since 2018 Portuguese primary schools have received several children with special educational needs (Portuguese Law nº 54/2018), including some children that do not speak at all (Maljaars; Noens; Jansen; Scholte; & Berckelaer-Onnes, 2011). In order to understand the impact(s) of inclusion of non-verbal children in the Portuguese school context during the last decade, this research aims to answer to two questions: (i) How do language theories evaluate and prospect the communicative abilities of children commonly classified as non-verbal? and (ii) What is going on in the research in Portugal about this? To answer these questions, a systematic review is being conducted following the reporting checklist of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The studies were eligible and included in this review, collected from Scopus, Eric and Reccap. The main finding, so far, suggest that exists in Portuguese context the “moment of discomfort in L1”.
Decreto-Lei nº 54/2018 da Presidência do Conselho de Ministros. (2018). Diário da República: 1ª Série, nº 129. https://files.dre.pt/1s/2018/07/12900/0291802928.pdf
Maljaars, J.; Noens, I.; Jansen, R.; Scholte, E. & Berckelaer-Onnes, I. V. (2011). Intentional communication in nonverbal and verbal low-functioning children with autism, Journal of Communication Disorders, Volume 44, Issue 6, pp. 601-614.
UNESCO and Spain Ministry of Education and Science. (1994). The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special