Leonardo Carvalho Alves’s research while affiliated with Federal University of Santa Maria and other places

To establish a profile of the patients treated in a Hearing Aids Grant Program of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, by analyzing the variables: age, sex, type and degree of hearing loss, number of aided patients, adaptation type (unilateral or bilateral), and adapted ear. This is a descriptive observational study, retrospective in a cross-sectional perspective, which included patients treated between February 2006 and July 2010, totaling 1,572 individuals; RESULTS: Their ages ranged from 3 to 100 years, mostly elderly (52.8%), with no frequency difference between the sexes. The sensorineural (73.12%) and moderate (54.7%) hearing losses were the most frequent ones, except in children, in whom the degree found was more profound (45.3%). More than 99% of the patients were aided, 258 unilaterally and 1,302 bilaterally. Mostly patients presents 60 years old or more, with no frequency difference between the sexes. The sensorioneural and moderate hearing losses were the most frequent ones, except in children. More than 99% of the patients were aided and the conducts were defined based in the audiological diagnosis and patient's needs.

The study deals with the Connectionist Theory and its branches, and how this theoretical model can contribute to the speech and language practice. This was aimed to collect and discuss several studies on the Connectionist Theory applied to language acquisition aiming at promoting the reflection on the contributions that this theory may bring out to speech and language therapy. It was found that the studies based on the connectionist theory related to speech and language therapy are prevalent in the area of language acquisition and language therapy, auditory and reading processing. However, they are scarce and little applied. Moreover, there is no direct relation between this theory and the techniques that can be used, but yes, with the analysis of therapeutic outcome, especially with the interpretation of how the process concerning learning the spoken and written language is carried out.