Speech disorders in children

Speech formation is a complex and multifactorial process involving many necessary components: the central nervous system, the motor and emotional-volitional spheres. Speech plays an extremely important role in the formation of higher mental functions in a child. Performing the function of communication between a child and an adult, it (speech) is the basis for the development of thinking, participates in planning and regulating the child's behavior, and influences the development of personality as a whole. Speech defects are serious problems in the development of a child, in the formation of his higher mental functions: memory, thinking, logic, attention. It will be difficult for a child with such features to master preschool education and the primary school curriculum. And in the future, learning difficulties, reading and writing disorders may occur. Children with speech disorders are characterized by unstable interests, decreased powers of observation, decreased motivation, negativism, self-doubt, increased irritability, aggression and resentment. Such children may have difficulty communicating with others and establishing contacts with their peers. This will lead to problems in the child's further education, professional and social adaptation.

There are different types and levels of speech disorders or speech development delays, depending on the causes and developmental characteristics of each child. One child has an incorrect pronunciation of specific sounds (phonetic speech disorder), another has a phonetic-phonemic disorder, when the baby not only pronounces sounds incorrectly, but also perceives (hears) them incorrectly. The most severe form is a general underdevelopment of speech – the child incorrectly perceives, pronounces sounds, his speech is incomprehensible, indistinct, intonationally unpainted, incoherent, the child has a poor vocabulary. A separate group includes stuttering (logoneurosis). And as delayed manifestations of speech disorders: dyslexia - reading disorders, dysgraphia – writing disorders.

Your child needs a speech therapist if his speech has not been formed by the age of 3, if he is 3.5 years old, but he has just started speaking and his speech is not completely clear. At the age of 4, the child's speech should be understood by both parents and outsiders. And by the age of 6, the child should already have the correct pronunciation and correct speech (coherent, literate with the use of genders, cases, numbers). If your child is under 3 years old, you can consult a speech therapist in order to detect and prevent speech disorders early.

At the EMC Children's Clinic, speech therapists diagnose speech disorders, correct pronunciation, and work on the prosodic side of speech (timbre, intonation, rhythm, diction, tempo, stress, and speech breathing).

Speech correction specialists, in close cooperation with other specialists of the clinic, work with children with speech and mental retardation, including those with autistic disorders.

For children after surgical interventions on ENT organs, such as removal of adenoids, pharyngeal tonsils, polyps, a set of classes is conducted aimed at restoring or forming proper nasal breathing.

By visiting a speech therapist, you will get a proper understanding of the child's speech development, the existence or absence of disorders and the possibilities of overcoming them.:

• elimination of the child's pronunciation peculiarities (defects),

• prevention of possible speech disorders,

• overcoming speech tempo and rhythm disorders,

• child's development of auditory attention and memory.

A speech therapist, forming speech and language, works on phonetics, grammar, vocabulary, graphics, teaches listening, speaking, reading and writing, develops mental and cognitive processes such as attention and memory – everything that a child's development and academic performance depend on.

Impeccable speech is the key to the successful development of a child's personality, to mastering a profession, to successful socialization, to career growth and success in his personal life.

Let your child's speech be correct and rich!!!