Description
This dissertation is a contemporary study, with few publications, regarding the process of oral
language acquisition in children with Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome (SCZV). A major
epidemic of this virus occurred in Brazil in 2015, associated with microcephaly, which was
considered a worldwide public health problem. The study aimed to investigate how the
process of oral language acquisition occurs in children with Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome.
The research is based on Vygostky's social interactionism, and on other authors who deal with
language acquisition such as Bruner, Piaget, Wallon. Moreover, among other authors,
Eickman and Ventura was also used in the present study so as to comment on Zika Virus. The
methodological path was guided by a qualitative and quantitative research. The research
participants were ten (10) children with SCZV. They were treated at the Altino Ventura
Specialized Rehabilitation Center, which is a reference center in Pernambuco. These children
are roughly three (3) years old and in the period of oral language acquisition. They were
followed for a period of nine (9) months. Two applications of the Developmental Screening
Test scale (DENVER II) and the Behavioral Observation Protocol (PROC) were performed at
the beginning and at the end of the intervention. The results of the DENVER II scale showed
possible developmental delays in the four areas analyzed (social personnel, fine adaptive
motor, language and gross motor). However, in PROC, 40% of the participants presented oral
language acquisition in the form of simple sentences with two or three words; 30% isolated
words and the remaining 30%, multimodal communication by gestures, facial expressions and
vocalizations.The results of the research showed that the oral language stimulation employed
in the treatment allowed the evolution of some of these children at the end of their follow-up
period. Some have expanded their communication to words, simple sentences, and others
employed various forms of verbal or nonverbal communication. Although these are the first
studies, we were able to help clarify the oral language acquisition process of this group of
children affected by SCZC. Furthermore, the stimulation was considered to be positive. As a
result, it provoked in the children the desire to interact with the people around them,
contributing to the improvement of the activities that may be proposed for them and to the
process of school inclusion.