[Auditory training in workshops: group therapy option].
BACKGROUND
auditory training in groups.


OBJECTIVE
to verify in a group of individuals with mental retardation the efficacy of auditory training in a workshop environment. METHOD a longitudinal prospective study with 13 mentally retarded individuals from the Associação de Pais e Amigos do Excepcional (APAE) of Congonhas divided in two groups: case (n=5) and control (n=8) and who were submitted to ten auditory training sessions after verifying the integrity of the peripheral auditory system through evoked otoacoustic emissions. Participants were evaluated using a specific protocol concerning the auditory abilities (sound localization, auditory identification, memory, sequencing, auditory discrimination and auditory comprehension) at the beginning and at the end of the project. Data (entering, processing and analyses) were analyzed by the Epi Info 6.04 software.


RESULTS
the groups did not differ regarding aspects of age (mean = 23.6 years) and gender (40% male). In the first evaluation both groups presented similar performances. In the final evaluation an improvement in the auditory abilities was observed for the individuals in the case group. When comparing the mean number of correct answers obtained by both groups in the first and final evaluations, a statistically significant result was obtained for sound localization (p=0.02), auditory sequencing (p=0.006) and auditory discrimination (p=0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
group auditory training demonstrated to be effective in individuals with mental retardation, observing an improvement in the auditory abilities. More studies, with a larger number of participants, are necessary in order to confirm the findings of the present research. These results will help public health professionals to reanalyze the theory models used for therapy, so that they can use specific methods according to individual needs, such as auditory training workshops.
Santos
Juliana Nunes
JN
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. juliana.santos@fead.br
do Couto
Isabel Cristina Plais
IC
Amorim
Raquel Martins da Costa
RM
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013070:Speech Therapy / Q000379:methods*