Sensorimotor alalia: classification, symptoms, causes, treatment and speech therapist prognosis

Currently, there are three main types of pathology:

Motor or expressive alalia. This is the child's inability to produce sounds. The child understands all words and can show their meaning with gestures. But the pronunciation is missing.
Sensory or impressive alalia manifests itself in the fact that the baby does not perceive extraneous speech. He can speak without perceiving the speech addressed to him as if on his own.
Sensorimotor, mixed alalia, has the characteristics of the two above in different proportions.

In sensorimotor alalia, the entire sensorimotor area of the cerebral cortex is affected. Sick children not only do not understand what their parents say, but they also cannot speak. This form of pathology is sometimes called total. Often, a child with total alalia cannot speak at all. In 100% of cases, the disease is accompanied by intellectual retardation. This disease is the most difficult to treat, and even an integrated approach sometimes does not guarantee a positive prognosis.

Symptoms

Sensorimotor alalia represents the immaturity of speech functionality at a fairly deep level. In most cases, it is possible to diagnose the problem in preschool age, when it is possible to correct its development and provide the child with a normal subsequent life.

The disease may be systemic or widespread. In other words, the violation affects all components of speech at once and manifests itself quite specifically.

There are several signs that become most typical for sensorimotor alalia:

Minimum vocabulary.
Late formation of speech functionality.
Inarticulate pronunciation, problems with pronunciation.
Problems of syllabic structure.

The pathology has a pronounced manifestation. The symptoms of the problem are represented by various manifestations. Among the main ones are:

Problems with coordination.
Fine motor defects.
Awkwardness.
Problems with self-care, such as buttoning buttons or tying shoelaces.
Impaired attention, reaction, memory, concentration.
Hyperactivity or inertia and increased fatigue depending on the child and the nature of the injury.
Understanding someone else's speech, but not the ability to perform independent speech.
Delay in the formation of speech skills.
Inability to repeat after other people.
Stuttering.
Articulation problems.
Small vocabulary.

Neurological manifestations can also be identified. This may be a lack of understanding of the addressed speech, high speech activity, but the baby speaks his “own” language, severe violations of phonemic hearing.

Prognosis and prevention

The prognosis depends on the severity of the disease, as well as the time of initiation of correction.
If you contact a specialist in a timely manner and regularly and carefully follow all recommendations, the likelihood of successful correction increases. The motor form of alalia is easier to eliminate, but with the sensory and sensorimotor forms the prognosis is not always favorable. Prevention of alalia means following all doctor’s recommendations during pregnancy, regular activities with your baby, and minimizing the risk of injuries and diseases.

Causes

Sensorimotor alalia can develop in the antenatal, intranatal and early periods of child development up to the age of three. Accordingly, specific provoking factors are directly related to the process of formation and growth of the child’s body at different stages of his life.

In the antenatal or intranatal period, the disease can develop against the background of the following factors:

Threats of spontaneous termination of pregnancy (miscarriage);
Intrauterine infection with microorganisms of the TORCH complex;
Prolonged and severe fetal hypoxia (such a disorder can be associated not only with obstetric pathologies, but also with exogenous factors such as maternal smoking, etc.);
Severe toxicosis;
Falls of a pregnant woman associated with injury to the fetus;
Somatic diseases of the expectant mother in a chronic form (this category includes hypotension, hypertension, heart failure and other systemic pathologies of a permanent type).

The development of complicated sensorimotor alalia with autistic features can also occur in the perinatal period, i.e. at delivery. Typically, pathological processes in this case are associated with intracranial birth injuries, prematurity and asphyxia of newborns.

Disturbances in the cerebral cortex also often occur against the background of too transient, rapid natural childbirth, or in the opposite case, when a woman gives birth for too long. This occurs less frequently when using instrumental obstetric aid, including delivery by cesarean section.

If we talk about the development of the disorder in the first years of a baby’s life, it can be triggered by meningitis, encephalitis and head injury.

Diagnosis of sensorimotor alalia in children

The diagnosis of sensorimotor alalia is made on the basis of an examination with the participation of a neurologist, speech therapist, otolaryngologist, psychologist, and pediatrician. If necessary, consultations with other specialists are prescribed. The purpose of diagnosis is to identify the exact cause of the defect and exclude other health problems that may be accompanied by speech disorders: autism, hearing loss, mental disorders.

To clarify the diagnosis and identify signs of brain damage, exclude space-occupying formations, and vascular problems, a small patient is referred to electroencephalography, vascular Doppler, MRI or CT.

Treatment

Treatment is carried out in several directions.

Speech therapy exercises. Can be carried out individually or within a special school. Positive results are achieved only by systematic, long-term training.

Under the guidance of a speech therapist, the child gradually masters the pronunciation of individual syllables and words and recognizes speech by its sound. With the help of various pictures, the skills of linking them with specific words are acquired.

When certain progress has been made, the child is already able to name one or another object shown in the picture. Gradually, the baby masters the correct endings of words, cases and declensions.

Additionally, classes are conducted that develop fine motor skills using drawing, modeling, cutting, and construction toys.

The success of treatment largely depends on home exercises. Exercises conducted with a speech therapist should be constantly reinforced with the direct participation of parents.

Speech therapy massage. Considered an effective addition to exercise. It develops individual muscles of the oral cavity responsible for correct pronunciation. The procedure is performed manually or using a special probe. Additionally, speech muscles are developed with the help of specific exercises designed specifically for these purposes.

Physiotherapeutic procedures. They are prescribed in the form of specific courses, depending on the child’s condition. They can be supplemented with hydrotherapy, magnetotherapy, laser therapy and other procedures.

Reflexology. Its essence is to stimulate the necessary areas of the brain with electrical impulses. This leads to the formation of new neural connections that facilitate learning. Applies to children over 9 years of age.

Drug therapy. Includes the use of drugs that stimulate blood flow to the brain. Additionally, vitamins B12 and B15 are prescribed. Much attention is paid to a balanced diet.

Correction and treatment of children with alalia in Khabarovsk

If a child is diagnosed with alalia, treatment should be comprehensive. That is, to include methods of psychological, medical and pedagogical orientation. The following methods of therapy are used:

Treatment using drugs that stimulate the development of brain structures.
Speech therapy exercises and massage aimed at developing speech and normalizing the tone of the muscles involved in sound pronunciation. Exercises should be carried out in courses, systematically.
Microcurrent reflexology – to activate the speech areas of the cerebral cortex.
Physical therapy, physiotherapy methods (laser and magnetic therapy, electrophoresis, water treatment).
Stimulation of improved coordination and development of fine motor skills.
Early teaching of children's literacy and writing.

The Neocortex center uses the most effective advanced techniques for correcting alalia in children. We have modern equipment, leading psychologists, teachers, doctors, and rehabilitation specialists cooperate with us. Carefully developed treatment programs are used.

Forecast

In most cases, with timely treatment, children recover. Over time, their speech becomes understandable, and in terms of intellectual development, such a child will not lag behind his peers. But in some cases, due to the advanced form of alalia, doctors cannot guarantee complete relief from this disease.

Sign up for a consultation. The children's speech therapist and psychologist of the center will determine the individual causes of alalia, give recommendations for correction, and also draw up a plan for classes in the center and at home. This system of work will make the correctional route the most effective and will successfully harmonize the baby’s development process.

Prognosis of motor alalia

In a child, the speed of development of higher mental functions (memory, attention, logic, thinking, intelligence, etc.) depends on age. The younger the child, the faster he develops intellectually. We, adults, in the absolute majority can only gain knowledge and improve skills. Science knows of no cases in which an ordinary uneducated worker or peasant was able to turn into a great doctor.

Speech is one of the ways of understanding the world, which a child begins to use from the age of one to one and a half years. And the absence of speech begins to slow down the rate of development of the child’s intelligence. Initially, compensatory, motor alaliks at 2-3 years of age have higher intelligence than their peers - they understand everything, but do not speak - this is what they say about them. But in the future, the lack of speech begins to inhibit the development of non-verbal intelligence. This usually occurs at 3-4 years, and by 5 years their intellectual underdevelopment becomes visible to everyone. And for this reason, at the age of 4-5 years, psychologists rightly diagnose them with mental retardation (mental retardation). Speech therapy textbooks on motor alalia always say that such children have primarily preserved intelligence at an early age, and if not treated (lack of classes with a speech therapist), intelligence is secondarily reduced.

The same thing happens in the absence of speech, even in healthy children. All known cases of “Mowgli”, when a human child was raised by animals, indicate that these children could not master speech in full and have a severe, irreparable delay in intellectual development.

From a textbook on the history of speech therapy: - In ancient times (many centuries ago), when human life was worth nothing, they decided to conduct an experiment in India. They took babies from different nations, put them in one room and didn’t talk to them until they were 6 years old, at all. And then we tried to teach them to speak. It was not possible to form speech with any child from different nations. And I don’t understand why, in our enlightened times, some parents conduct such experiments on their children - “he doesn’t speak, it’s okay, then he’ll talk.”

On the Internet, stories are often cited as examples about a father or grandfather who spoke late and now works great at a factory. Well, firstly, most of these stories are not true, since the people around are non-specialists and the inability to tell any poem by A.S. Pushkin. is perceived as an inability to speak. I regularly undergo examinations, during which nervous parents find out that everything is fine with their child. Since at this age a child should have such speech, and they do not need a speech therapist. And, secondly, when these cases are true, think about what this person would become if speech therapists had formed his speech in a timely manner. Perhaps society has lost a great scientist and inventor in him; maybe he would now invent a cure for incurable diseases or create spaceships that will fly to other stars. And now he's just a mechanic. This is not a reason to be proud of the damage parents caused to their child’s intellect by not turning to a specialist in time.

Speech and intelligence are interconnected. Lack of speech at 2 years old should alert parents. You can't wait. Every day without speech damages a child's intelligence. At the age of 5-6 years, almost all children with motor alalia are diagnosed with decreased intelligence.

Massage technique for alalia

Massage has a positive effect on the motor type of the disease. It has a number of positive effects: reduces increased muscle tone;

coordinates the muscles of the face and tongue;

improves articulation;

improves tissue sensitivity;
reduces salivation (excessive salivation, drooling).

The massage should be done with your fingers. Movements should be slow and careful. There should be at least 10 such sessions per course. The massage technique includes tapping on the lips, tongue, and inner surface of the cheeks.

You also need to carry out circular and pressing movements along the surface of the cheeks. It is worth seeking help from specialists who will prescribe a course of speech therapy massage and determine its features, frequency, and specific movements.

Classes at the clinic

Alalia can be cured in specialized clinics. This method is one of the most effective, since children are trained using a specially developed method:

development of cognitive function;
formation of morphological and sound analysis;
restoration of semantic aspects of speech, etc.

In such clinics you can get advice from a speech therapist, neurologist, psychoneurologist, or psychiatrist. They will be able to give advice on treatment, nutrition and diet of the child during illness. In this case, meals should be fractional and correct; the child needs to eat more vegetables and fruits, as well as lean meats: chicken, turkey, rabbit, beef.