The family's perception of speech therapy in an outpatient unit

PURPOSE: to understand the family's perception of speech therapy in an outpatient setting. METHODS: semi-structured interviews were carried out with six mothers of children receiving speech therapy in an outpatient unit at a public hospital in Curitiba, in the state of Paraná. The following three inclusion criteria were used: having had speech therapy for more than five months; having been attending weekly sessions; and being available to take part in the study. The method used to treat the data was thematic analysis, and the following subcategories were identified in the category "treatment": recognition of the service, bonding and practices. RESULTS: the findings showed that families had a limited understanding of speech therapy, that they felt uncertainty when faced with the issues related to their offspring's speech difficulties and that there was a need for bonding with the families and recognition of the way that each family behaves. CONCLUSION: respect for the singularities of each family group favors interaction between the family and the health professional and enriches the therapeutic process, allowing participants to develop their self-confidence and create a bond with the therapist, both of which are essential for family participation in the therapeutic process.