Awareness Levels and Views of Preschool Teachers towards Speech-Language Therapy and Disorders

Abstract

Speech and language therapy services are relatively new in Turkey. Recognition of the profession is critical for early intervention since professionals can be recommended for language and speech issues now that the profession has been recognized. Orientation and early intervention are important aspects of the preschool period, and preschool teachers play an important part in this. Teachers who participate actively in referral process during the preschool period can ensure that children with language-speech impairments receive effective and timely rehabilitation by providing reliable information. Therefore, they should be knowledgeable of typical development, disorders, and precursor symptoms. In this study, it was aimed to determine the awareness levels and opinions of preschool teachers about language and speech disorders and the profession of speech and language therapy. A questionnaire was modified and prepared for the study, and it consisted of three parts: “general information”, “information about the profession of language and speech therapy” and “information about language/speech disorders”. The questionnaire was completed by 113 participants online and 64 participants in person. Descriptive analysis method was used in the analysis of the data obtained in the study. The majority of the participants had previously heard of the profession of speech and language therapy. It has been found that, in addition to having reliable information on the profession, there seems to be information that is inadequate or incorrect. The information related to the working group of speech and language therapists and the disorders that they deal with has been found to be limited.