             |
   |
|
Spain Jorge Perelló †, Barcelona We are indebted to Fray Pedro Ponce de León for the first recognition of the need and value of speech therapy. Juan Pablo-Bonet published the first book in the history about how to teach speech to the deaf. The studies on voice entered the scientific field thanks to the discovery of a Spanish Manuel Garcia, who invented the laryngoscope. That is to say, the roots of our speciality are thrust in Spanish earth. Unfortunately the science and efforts of these pioneers were not followed. In the limits of these last 75 years we must mention Pere Barnils (1882 - 1933) who in 1930 published a book in Catalan about speech disorders and its treatments. This was an isolated effort. In 1950 Perelló opened a Phoniatric Service in the Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine in Barcelona, published articles and founded the Spanish Association which promotes and stimulates the phoniatric studies. This Association celebrated national congresses in Málaga (1960), Barcelona (1962), La Coruna (1964), Badajoz (1966), Alcoy-Alicante (1968), Oviedo (1970), Madrid (1972), Tenerife (1974), Salamanca (1976), San Sebastian (1978), Pontevedra (1980), Castellón (1982), Cádiz (1984), Burgos (1986), Sevilla (1989), Zaragoza (1992), Málaga (1994), Valencia (1997), and Barcelona (1999), that is to say, has spread its influences all over the country. After the presidence of the founder, the following Presidents were Dr. José López-Tappero (1972-1978), Dr. José Ma Vendrell (1978), C. Bruno (1980), T. Herrero (1983), A. Juárez (1986) and now M. Pyuelo (1997). The Association publishes a review “Revista de Logopedia y Audiologia” and has about 300 members among phoniatrists, logopedists and audiologists. The
Phoniatry has not yet been recognized as a medical speciality
by the Ministry of Education, but surprisingly there is one
Phoniatric Department in all the Hospitals of the National Health
Service! Phoniatric pathology teaching for this fact is quite
limited. Courses of a few days duration are given in some hospitals
but more practical than academic. These courses are not officially
recognized and, consequently, give no professional degree. The
main concern of this department is assistancial and not for
investigation. The major effort and purpose of the Spanish Phoniatry
is to be recognized as medical speciality to establish an academic
three years course and the formation of good logopedists as
well. The teaching of logopedics is given with courses of three
years duration in four or five universities.
|
