Authors : Jehad Al Araifi, Wesam Darawsheh, Mohammad Damhoureyeh and Yaser Natour
Abstract: Early intervention of children with communication disorders helps in meeting their needs as early as possible. The current study investigates the reasons and factors that affect the early diagnosis for children with communication disorders and providing the relevant rehabilitation services this was a cross-sectional descriptive study. The participants were parents of children with communication disorders living in the Northern, Southern and middle regions of Jordan whose children either had been diagnosed or were receiving treatment at six centers in the capital city of Amman. All participants completed a semistructured questionnaire on the rehabilitation services offered to their children. A total of 200 parents of patients with communication disorders completed the questionnaire. Findings revealed that the majority of the patients (175, 87.5%) received speech therapy, followed by occupational therapy (87, 43.5%). The majority of the children were diagnosed between the ages of 0 and 3(155, 77.5%). According to the results, parent education and household salary had a significant effect (p<0.05) on the age at diagnosis and there is a lack of awareness regarding the significance of early intervention for children with communication disorders and lack of programs providing early intervention for children with communication disorders in Jordan. Parents need to be educated regarding what to do and where to seek rehabilitation services when they have a child with communication disorders. Additionally, speech-language pathologists and other health care providers should consider providing early intervention on a systematic manner.
Jehad Al Araifi, Wesam Darawsheh, Mohammad Damhoureyeh and Yaser Natour, 2020. Early Intervention of Communication Disorders in Jordan. Research Journal of Medical Sciences, 14: 71-76.