[From movement to gesture. Evaluation in the treatment of neuro- psychomotor disability]

Aim of this study is to evaluate whether the subjects with neuromotor deficits can achieve both the restoration of the motor function and of the intentional and communicative components of gesture. Our case series includes 20 children (10 males, 10 females) aged 8 months to 14 years. Ten had neuromotor impairment (9 cases with different features of C.P, 1 case with ataxia) (first group), the remaining cases had psychomotor delay of different degree (second group). The authors analyzed some communicative expressions, and especially the verbal message, which "accompany" the gesture. They have observed that the patients, who had disorders of the "execution" of movements, but preserved the cognitive-perceptive quality of them, could learn to use their motility for communication and socialization. This is perhaps too ambitious. However the authors think that it is worth trying to obtain this result, since they believe that the aim of rehabilitation is the patient's best adjustment.