Inteligência simbólica e não simbólica de crianças e adolescentes portadores de deficiência auditiva: análises baseadas no Teste Não Verbal Universal de Inteligência (UNIT)

Abstract

We performed an exploratory study of intelligence symbolic and not symbolic of children and adolescents with hearing loss based on the performance of participants in the standard battery of the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT). Because it is a test that provides a general measure (factor g) of intelligence and cognitive skills through non-verbal procedures UNIT is one of the few tools for assessing intelligence that minimizes factors that can trigger erroneous interpretations that involve verbal processes or language. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of language in the development of intelligence in children with deafness and how variables such as education, age, level of hearing loss, linguistic method (signing, oralizing, total communication) can influence the verbal and nonverbal intelligence. The survey was made with 55 deaf children and adolescents in institutions of education or in institutions offering extra-curricular activities (music, tuition signing, pedagogical support, etc.) in the city of Uberlandia and Patos de Minas. In relation to the general sample analysis (parametric analysis) the main results show a significant difference between IQ Symbolic and IQ non-symbolic (t (54) = 13.158, p <0.001), there is strong correlation between both (r = 0.662, p <0.05). When we underwent the scores of IQ Symbolic and IQ Non-symbolic of UNIT to an ANOVA with the age factor, the results showed a statistically significant difference in the following variables: age (p = 2.376, p <0.05); extra class activity ( p = 3.244, p <0.05), and hearing the parents (p = 6.844, p <0.05). In order to perform more detailed analysis (nonparametric analysis), the sample was divided into subgroups, with the criterion of extra-curricular activities, note that for the sample of the conservatory IQ symbolic is statistically higher compared with the IQ non-symbolic (z = 3.92, p <0.001), since the sample of school educational support the score of IQ non-symbolic compared to the score of non-symbolic IQ is significantly higher (z = 3.52, p <0.001). Thus, we find that variables such as age at which there was hearing loss, the level of hearing loss, schooling and skills developed in non-academic activities are factors influenced mainly symbolic in IQ. And the extra activities are an important factor for both symbolic abilities related to intelligence about the non-symbolic intelligence.