Types of speech defects
Before starting exercises and activities, we recommend that you understand the main types of disorders in the pronunciation of sounds. A child’s speech may be distorted due to:
- Stuttering. The most common speech defect. It is possible to determine the presence of stuttering in a child closer to the age of 3 years, since during this period he begins to construct his first large sentences. In this case, sessions with an experienced speech therapist cannot be avoided. The specialist will offer games to eliminate the defect and develop speech, which are guaranteed to give a positive result. Stuttering is an insidious problem. It is important not to give up working with your child even after achieving success, because there are often cases when the problem returns.
- Dislalia. A similar defect often occurs in a child 3-5 years old. Without going into science, dyslalia is confusion in the pronunciation of certain consonant sounds (“l”, “r”, “sh” and others). It is worth contacting a speech therapist with this problem as soon as crooked speech becomes noticeable, preferably in the same year.
- Nasality. This phenomenon is also classified as a defect, but the main root of the problem here is in the incorrect structure of the speech apparatus. If you discover such a problem, be sure to contact an otolaryngologist; a speech therapist will not be able to help the child in this situation.
- GSD (general speech underdevelopment). By the age of 6, a child’s speech should be coherent and interesting. If a preschooler experiences certain difficulties when speaking, then most likely the reason lies in the wrong approach to communicating with him. OHP often occurs in children whose parents lisped a lot, distorted endings and uttered only diminutive forms of words. All this created a huge “mess” in the child’s head, which is why the child now independently confuses endings and uses incorrect prepositions. The defect can be eliminated in a timely manner if you take your child to a speech therapist before the age of 6.
- Neurological diseases. If you notice that working with your child at home is not bringing any results, consult a qualified neurologist. Special treatment may be required. It is important to note that a speech therapist will not be able to help your child with this problem.
- SRD (speech development delay). By the age of 3-5, every average child begins to chatter incessantly. If you notice that your baby has a small vocabulary, you should definitely visit a speech therapist for a speech test.
Observe your child and his speech. By regularly communicating with your baby, you will definitely notice the presence of any problems with the pronunciation of sounds. If any are found, be sure to make an appointment with a speech therapist, no matter how old the child is.
Advice for parents of children aged 5–6 years
To ensure that speech therapy exercises are easy for your child and that positive results appear as early as possible, follow these simple recommendations:
- Even if you are not a speech therapist by profession, explain to your child the meaning of the classes. Tell him that all the games are aimed at developing his speech, and the ability to speak beautifully and clearly is an attribute of every adult.
- Speech therapist games with children should be easy. If a child gets carried away by what is happening, he will direct all his forces in the right direction.
- Limit the time your child spends on speech development classes and other school preparation lessons. It is advisable that the exercises be done daily, but not more than 15 minutes each, since it is still difficult for a 5-year-old child to concentrate.
- Praise kids for their successes. It will be much easier to instill a child’s interest in games for speech development if he is sure that he will not be punished, but will be supported.
- Become a role model. The child develops speech from observations of your behavior. Therefore, always speak correctly, clearly and with expression.
No matter how old a child is, improving his speech and helping with all-round development is one of the most important responsibilities of parents. The BrainApps service can be an additional assistant in this difficult task. The portal contains hundreds of highly effective simulators, classes on which will improve memory, attention, thinking and concentration of both adults and children. If you are tired of regular games to develop correct sound pronunciation, try working out with your baby on BrainApps simulators. The result may pleasantly surprise you and your child will probably not need a speech therapist.
