Abstract:
The aim of the article is to describe the communication development of a child with
Foetal Retinoid syndrome (FRS) from six months to seven years of age. Little is known
about this rare acquired syndrome and its long-term implications, especially on a child's
communication development. A descriptive, ex post facto research design was used to
study the participant's communication development from 1996 when the family enrolled
in an early communication intervention programme. Annual serial assessments of the
participant and her family were conducted and the data were stored in a research
database after each assessment. The results are described according to a 4-level
assessment framework and indicated consistent, but moderate to minor delays in the
participant's communication development with a mild hearing loss in the right ear,
associated with ear anomalies. Although prenatal exposure to isotretinoin may have
serious effects on the unborn foetus and even cause death, the participant did not display
all the symptoms of FRS described in the literature. The favorable family circumstances,
early commencement of intervention, and supporting early educational environments
were protecting factors that could have contributed positively to the participant's
communication development. The importance of knowledge accumulation about rare
syndromes such as FRS in Communication Pathology and Audiology is discussed and
guidelines for early identification, assessment and treatment applicable to the case are
proposed as an intervention option.
