Alimentary difficulties in cerebral palsy: proposal of a protocol

ABSTRACT Purpose: to propose a protocol able to analyze both the sensibility as oral motor function in feeding for patients with cerebral palsy. Methods: a selection of sensibility and oral motor function evaluation protocols was done. Then four speech-language pathologists developed tasks of the protocol for the analysis of alimentary difficulties. After its elaboration, the protocol was critically analyzed by nine speech-language pathologists with experience in orofacial motricity and care of patients with cerebral palsy, and one nutritionist. A consensual analysis was made among the authors of the protocol about the permanence or removal of the tasks following the 0.7 criterion of agreement among the judges. After this analysis, the protocol was applied in three individuals with cerebral palsy, one with feeding difficulty complaint and two without complaint. Results: after the judges' analysis, 100% of them agreed with the most of the tasks established in the protocol, the proposed suggestions were changes in nomenclature and of some foods used in some tasks, for a detailed test, and the possibility of the observation in the chewing function. Conclusion: it was proposed the "Protocolo de Rastreio de Dificuldades Alimentares", a screening tool of alimentary difficulties for individuals with cerebral palsy.