University extension in the Legal Amazon region: a partnership between university and community - an experience report

Extension encompasses the democratisation of the university, the knowledge produced, identifies social demands and offers students learning opportunities in contact with social realities, allowing theoretical and practical knowledge, bringing a critical look at the professional environment and its possibilities for change. In this context, the role of speech therapy within university extension activities is to contribute to knowledge about the areas and enable the population to access the specialities. This experience report describes the qualitative and quantitative activities carried out in a university extension project at a public university in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, in the state of Rondônia. The actions are carried out in different districts of the state and with riverside communities along the Madeira River. Health promotion and education, diagnostic and rehabilitative actions are carried out. The work is carried out in an interdisciplinary way between speech therapy, dentistry and medicine, all courses run by our university. The expeditions take place twice a year, in January and July, and fourth-year undergraduate students take part, as well as postgraduate students and lecturers from different areas. Speech and hearing therapy work is carried out in the areas of audiological diagnosis, assessment and intervention in child and written language, orofacial motricity, diagnosis of lingual frenulum alterations in babies and children, hearing rehabilitation with the selection and fitting of individual sound amplification devices, intensive therapy in cases of language alterations in children, voice, post-surgical therapy in cases of frenectomy, taking into account the demands of each community. All actions involve the participation of carers and/or family members. Some cases are followed up with telecare during the semester, with online therapy or even guidance. There is also a great deal of concern about training health and education agents in each assisted community, as they are duplicators of knowledge. To this end, training courses are offered for teachers and community health agents, also online.