For a child with Down's syndrome, learning to communicate is important. With a relatively good understanding of the words addressed to him, the child has a significant lag in speaking. The speech of children with Down's syndrome is influenced by the features of the anatomical structure of the speech apparatus, neurophysiological and medical factors, and the characteristics of the cognitive sphere. All this creates additional difficulties in the formation of a clear sound, reflected on the characteristics of voice and speech. How to develop speech in a child with Down syndrome? A question that worries many parents. In this article, you will find an exhaustive answer.
The proposed recommendations and exercises will help prepare the ground for the development of speaking skills. The main attention should be paid to training and strengthening of the muscles of the lips, tongue, soft palate, obtaining skills of speech breathing. Working with the child little by little since birth, doing this against the backdrop of vivid emotions, you can compensate for the natural defects of a child with Down's syndrome and improve the quality of spoken words. Lepet is the basic skill for the development of speech, it strengthens the mechanisms of articulation and makes them mobile. Lepete also provides an auditory feedback reaction, i.е. The child gets used to sounds and their variations in human speech. Although babbling children with Down syndrome and is similar to babbling normal children, but it is less time-consuming and frequent, requires constant stimulation and support of adults. The fact that children with Down's Syndrome is less lisping has, according to scientists, two reasons. The first is related to the common hypotonicity (weakness of the muscles) inherent in these children, which also extends to the speech apparatus; the other is due to an auditory feedback. Usually babies like to listen to their own babbling. Because of the physiological features of the structure of the hearing aid, as well as frequent ear infections, children with Down syndrome hardly hear their own voice. This prevents the training of individual sounds and their inclusion in words. Therefore, early diagnosis of hearing impairment has a strategic effect for the further speech and mental development of the child.
Stimulation of auditory feedback is facilitated by the following exercises. Establish eye contact with the child (distance 20-25 cm), talk to him: say "a", "ma-ma", "pa-pa", etc. Smile, nod, encourage the child to be attentive. Then pause to allow him to react. Try to conduct a dialogue with him, during which you and the child exchange reactions. Be proactive. When the child babbles, do not interrupt him, but maintain, keeping contact with him. When he stops, repeat the sounds behind him and try again to "talk" him. Vary the voice. Experiment with tone and volume. Find out what your child is reacting to best.
Such exercises should be done several times a day for 5 minutes. It is best to start from birth and continue in various forms until the child learns to speak. This technique can also be used to view objects or pictures. It is necessary to encourage the child to touch them. Initially, the baby slams on them. This is a normal reaction that can not be stopped. Showing with your index finger is the result of more advanced development. The main goal is to encourage the child to babble. Call objects and pictures, encourage him to repeat individual sounds after you.
The next step after babbling is the development of articulated speech. If babbling does not go spontaneously into speech, then the task of parents and educators is to form it. An important role in this is played by imitation, or imitation. As practice shows, children with Down's Syndrome do not imitate spontaneously. The child must be taught to observe and react to what he sees and hears. Learning to imitate is the key to further learning.
The development of imitative abilities begins with the imitation of the simple actions of an adult. To do this, put the child at a table or on a highchair. Sit across from him. Make sure there is eye contact between you. Say: "Knock on the table!" Demonstrate the action and say in a certain rhythm: "Tuk, tuk, tuk." If the child reacts, even weakly (perhaps at first with only one hand), rejoice, praise him and repeat the exercise two more times. If the child does not react, take him by the hand, show how to knock, and say: "Tuk-tuk-tuk." When the child takes possession of it, other movements can be used, for example, stomping with feet, waving with hands, etc. As the imitative abilities develop, the basic exercises can be supplemented with finger games with simple rhymes. Do not repeat the same movement more than three times, as it can annoy the baby. It is better to go back to doing exercises several times during the day. This rule applies to all subsequent assignments.
Special child.
To stimulate the imitation of speech sounds, you can perform the following exercises. Look at the child. Pat yourself on the open mouth to make the sound "wah-wah-wah." Tap the child's lips to induce him to make the same sound. For further demonstration, bring his hand to your lips. Form a skill by slapping the child over his mouth and uttering a sound. Repeating vowel sounds A, I, O, Y is facilitated by imitation of motor reactions.
Sound A. Put your index finger on the chin, lower the lower jaw and say: "A".
Sound I. Say "I", stretching fingers of the corners of the mouth to the sides.
Sound O. Say a short, clear sound "O". Make the "O" icon with your middle and big fingers when you say this sound.
Sound W. Say a long exaggerated "U", folding your hand in a tube and bringing it to your mouth, and take it away when you make a sound. Do not forget to praise your child every time. Sometimes it may take several days before it starts to work out. If the baby does not repeat, do not force it. Go to something else. Combine the imitation of speech with another imitation, which gives your child pleasure.
Correct breathing has a great effect on voice quality. Children with Down's syndrome have superficial breathing and are mostly through the mouth, as frequent colds make it difficult for the nose to breathe. In addition, a flaccid hypotonic language of large sizes does not fit in the oral cavity. Therefore, in addition to the prevention of colds
it is necessary to train the child to close his mouth and breathe through his nose. To do this, the baby's lips are brought together with an easy touch, so that he closes his mouth and breathes for a while. By pressing the index finger on the area between the upper lip and the nose, a reverse reaction is achieved-the opening of the mouth. These exercises can be conducted several times a day, depending on the situation. It is also advisable to teach young children with Down syndrome to the nipple-forming jaw. When sucking the baby's mouth will be closed, and breathing will be carried out through the nose, even when he is tired or asleep.
The development of a good air jet is promoted by air blowing exercises, which also rely on the ability of the child to imitate. Tasks are carried out in a casual game form. It is necessary to support any efforts of the child, until he starts to do it right. For example: blow on hanging feathers or other light objects; Playing on the harmonica, making sounds when inhaling and exhaling; blowing feathers, cotton, torn paper handkerchiefs, balls for table tennis; blow out a match or a candle flame; play on toy pipes and flutes, blow on wind wheels; inflate folded paper snakes, balls; blow through a tube in soapy water and start bubbles; lead paper bags and floating toys in the form of animals by blowing air into motion; blow through a tube and thereby set in motion feathers and pieces of cotton wool; inflate soap bubbles; exhale loudly or growl; blow on a mirror or a glass and draw something there. These and other exercises can vary in different game forms according to the age of the child.
Especially important for children with Down's syndrome are exercises to improve the mobility of the tongue, since normal motor language is a good prerequisite for proper sucking, swallowing and chewing, and speaking. Exercises for development in infants mobility of the tongue and jaws consist mainly of massage and help in getting used to the age appropriate food.
When the tongue is massaged, the tongue edges alternately on the left and on the right are pressed down by the index fingers until a reverse reaction occurs. The rate of change depends on the speed of the response. With cautious movements of the index finger, you can move the tip of the tongue to the right and left, up and down. Similar movements cause a slight tickling of the drinking tube or toothbrush. Sometimes it may be useful to clean the edges of the tongue with an electric toothbrush. Suitable and small brushes from the set for training brushing teeth. One-sided vibrating of one cheek and pressing on the second one can cause rotational movement of the tongue in the mouth.
Examples of exercises for the development of language mobility:
• licking spoons (with honey, pudding, etc.);
• smear honey or jam on the upper or lower lip, the left or right corner of the mouth, so that the child licking the tip of the tongue;
• make movements of the tongue in the mouth, for example, alternately put the tongue on the right, then under the left cheek, under the upper or lower lip, click the tongue, brush the tongue with your tongue;
• loudly click with the tongue (the tongue remains behind the teeth);
• grasp the plastic cup with your teeth, put buttons or balls in it and, shaking your head, make noise;
• fasten the button on a long rope and move it with teeth from side to side.
Exercises for the development of mobility of the jaws and tongue are included in articulatory games that mimic various sounds or actions (the cat lickens, the dog clenches teeth and growls, the rabbit gnaws carrots, etc.).
Lip modification in children with Down's syndrome is associated with a constant flow of saliva and pressure of the tongue, especially the lower lip. Therefore, it is important to teach the child to close his mouth. You need to pay attention to the fact that the lips are free to close, the red border of the lips remained visible and the lips were not drawn. Infants and small children can be ironed with the middle and index fingers to the left and right of the nose down, thus bringing the raised upper lip closer to the lower one. The lower lip can be brought closer to the upper lung by pressing the thumb. However, the chin should not be raised, because then the lower lip will be on the top. The protrusion and stretching of the lips, the alternate application of one lip to the other, the twitching and vibration of the upper lip develop their mobility. To strengthen the muscles, you can give the child to keep the lips with light objects (straw), send air kisses, after eating, hold the spoon in your mouth and tightly compress it with your lips.
General hypotension in children with Down syndrome causes a decreased mobility of the palatine curtain, which is expressed in nasal and hoarseness of voice. Gymnastics for the palate can be combined with simple movements: "aha" - hands are swinging upward, "ahu" - cotton with hands on the hips, "ahai" - cotton with hands, "aho" - strongly stamp one foot. The same exercises are conducted with the sounds "n", "t", "k". Training of the palatine curtain is facilitated by playing with the ball, shouting out individual sounds: "aa", "ao", "apa", etc. It is useful to demonstrate natural sounds (coughing, laughing, snorting, sneezing) and motivating the imitation of the child. You can use the game exercises for repetition: inhale and exhale on the "m"; speak the syllables "mammy", "me-meme", "amam", etc .; breathe on a mirror, glass or hand; exhale with the position of the speech apparatus as when the sound "a"; exhale through a narrow snap between the upper teeth and lower lip; put the tip of the tongue on the upper lip and make a background, then on the teeth and on the bottom of the mouth; pronounce the sound of "n" with a clamped nose; when exhaling, move from "n" to "t". A good training is whispered speech.
The development of colloquial speech is facilitated by the situational use of words. You should name those subjects that are most relevant to your child. For example, if a child wants a cookie, then, pointing to it, you need to ask: "Cookies?" And answer: "Yes, this is a cookie." You must use the minimum number of words, speak slowly and clearly, repeat the same word several times. It is desirable that the articulatory movements of the lips of an adult fall into the child's field of vision, cause a desire to imitate them.
Many children with Down syndrome resort to words and gestures that substitute words. This should be supported and helped them communicate at this level, because the realization of the meaning of each gesture through words activates spoken language. In addition, gestures can come in handy as a supplement to speech at times when it is difficult for a child to convey his message in words.
Because the pronouncing side of speech of children with Down's syndrome can be improved throughout life, many of the exercises listed above can be continued even when the child is already learning how to talk.