In children, disabilities in the speech and language can affect their way of living. Their way of talking, understanding and processing information is completely affected. Most speech disorders deal with the fluency, voice quality and clarity. Most language disabilities deal with a child’s ability to communicate meaningfully, understanding what others speak, problem-solving ability and to express their own thoughts and ideas. Children of all age can be affected with any type of the speech and language disability.
For children with any form of speech and language disability, establishing an effective communication can be a lifetime experience. Reading, writing, listening, speaking and gesturing are all codes of an successful communication. Learning is most effective through communication. Language when spoken, is the foundation of the establishing a successful reading and writing session. Literacy competence and knowledge is built entirely on the spoken language and the written language.
Communication disorders leads a child to show poor performances in academic activities and poor capability of judgement in social life. Awareness of language including the sound, syllable, sentence and word is poor in children with any language disorder. hence it affects the level of communication and effective conversation of thoughts to words.
Cooperative activities of the Speech-language Therapist with parents, special eduction teachers, classroom teachers, counselors, audiologists, neurologists, ENT specialists, physicians, dentists, psychologists, social workers and nurses. They all must have a common motive of proper diagnosis, speech and language assessment, educational evaluations. The treatment may start with individual basis or in groups in classrooms, specialized environment or at home; as per the analysis of the case in the child. The aim is not about behavioral modification in only academic but also at the social level. The services in a speech therapy including cognitive reorganization, improving abstract thinking, memory retraining and language enhancement are most effective when combined with peer relationship. The children may also achieve pride and self-esteem adding a meaning to their lives.
Effective Methods For A Successful Speech Therapy:
- Ways For An Effective Vocabulary, Phonics, Memory And Volume:
- Recite everything yourself without asking your child to do the same. Let your child just to add a word or just a few words each time you recite. Make sure he listens attentively to you.
- Let your child to recite the long string of items you provide with him. This will help him with memory.
- Use sentences like “I went to Kansas to bring candy, cards, kittens, cakes, cups etc.” Let all the letters start with the same sound as it is ‘k’ in the example. This would be good for phonic and articulation.
- Gradually increase the destinations starting with different sounds and simultaneously adding up items corresponding to the destinations. Example: “I went to Alaska and brought an ax, an atlas; I went to Boston and I brought books, bottles, balls and band-aids; I went to Cancun and I brought carrots, cupcakes and cola.” and many more.
- Set different 5-letter words to the tune of some popular songs like the ‘Bingo’ Song. This will help him with alphabets.
- Sing songs like “I’m a Little Striped Skunk”, which has enough scope of getting the sound louder or even allow your child to sing any silly song of his choice with a loud and clear voice. This will help him adjust his speech volume.
- Sing songs which has strings of words and actions. This would enhance the memory.
- Aware your child about a group of things at a particular place, or a group of events at a particular place. Start with the kitchen and cooking, followed by washroom and things around.
- Use numbers to say amount of things you use; like – 4 bottles of milk, 22 bottles of water, 17 bags of rice etc.
- Ways To Treat Problems In Receptive language, Expressive language and Deductive reasoning:
- Receptive language is all about the skills of listening. Make your child more like a “spyer” than a guesser.
- While you want to help you child with the oral skills, i.e. is the expressive language, make your child behave like a “guesser” more than a “spyer.”
- Choose items by their color, their utilities (at different times). So that this would help your child to develop his ability to categorize.
- Describe items with their starting sounds.
- make small reading activities for your child.
- Limit a place, person or a thing to something in plain sight. This will increase his observation.
- Use boards and other visual ids to implement your activities successfully.
- Let your child to utter complete sentences instead of saying a yes or a no. Try to put open ended question instead of closed ones.
- Ways To Deal With Articulation, Speech Speed And Sense Of Humor:
- Select tongue twisters that are difficult for your child.
- Use easy tongue twisters that can be easily spoken by your child.
- Use stopwatch to various speech games you play. And award prizes basing on the clarity and rate of speech.
Effective Methods For A Successful Language Therapy:
- Identify and note the areas which your child finds difficulty in speaking.
- A professional analysis may be required.
- Keep a proper observation on his speech.
- Try to find the best teaching option for your child. And design your treatment plan accordingly.
- Give your child enough time to complete all the assignments he was given. This would help him reduce his anxiety and stress.
- Commend on every small success.
- Encourage your child to promote his talents wherever he feels like.
- Assign simple responsibilities to him. Like ‘Get a spoon, get a soap, call father for dinner, Bring your shirt etc.’
- Detail him on the successful completion of the task and reward him in return.
- Praise on successful accomplishments.
- Attend classes, seminars about such disabilities and their treatments.
- Try to find other people with similar disabilities and be in touch with them comparing your case and discussing to get more information.
