Methods for the development of speech in a non-speaking child

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

When a baby is just born, it is very difficult to say exactly how it will develop. Of course, the doctor can immediately tell only about the problems of a physical nature. But if parents have a non-speaking child at the age of 3, then most often the problem lies not in the state of his he alth, but in the peculiarities of his psychology. Sometimes babies set up a barrier that is difficult for them to overcome without the help of an outsider.

In addition to classes with a speech therapist or child psychologist, mother and father should do independent work. Only with an integrated approach can a good result be achieved. Let us consider in more detail the methods of working with non-speaking children and what tips will help parents cope with this problem. It is important to approach this issue correctly and not make mistakes.

How do classes with a specialist usually begin

First of all, the speech therapist draws up a characterization for a non-speaking child. To do this, he first talks with the baby's parents, and then tries to establish contact with him. If the child refuses to communicate at all and prefers to remain silent, then it is first important to form the so-called language mechanism in him. AlsoIt is important to develop in a small patient the need to use speech. After all, very often kids prefer to demonstrate what they want. For example, a child can point a finger at his mouth, and his parents automatically understand that he is hungry. If they unconsciously follow the lead of the child, then he simply ceases to see the need to use such a useful skill as speech.

Besides, working with non-speaking children implies that in the family where the baby is located, there should be a normal environment that will encourage him to start using the speech apparatus. Therefore, the specialist necessarily conducts a conversation with all family members and the immediate environment.

You may need to talk to a child psychologist. It’s possible that the child’s social communication skills were simply not formed correctly. Perhaps he is too negative or thinks that others want to offend him. This often happens when parents involuntarily show aggression during training and expect too fast results.

Child negativism

This is a fairly common problem. If the family has a non-speaking child of 3 years old, then perhaps he is incorrectly motivated and generally does not want to start interacting with loved ones through communication. In most situations, these babies are not able to correctly assess and understand what is good and what is bad.

The child must understand that the acquisition of these skills guarantees his success. However, it is very difficult to explain this to your beloved child on your own.

Another problem of the development of negativism ina non-speaking child may be due to the fact that he gets everything too easily. As soon as he looked at some toy in the store, his parents immediately run to the cashier to pay for the novelty. In this case, the child understands that he does not need to talk or at least ask for what he wants. His parents seem to be reading his mind.

Therefore, the main effective technique with non-speaking children is motivation. This is a very effective way to help your beloved child speak.

How does the technique work?

A similar method is used when it is necessary to teach a child to obey his parents. For example, if the mother explains to the baby that if he sits quietly for five seconds and does not make noise, he will get marmalade. Gradually, the waiting time for sweetness increases, and very quickly the child automatically understands how to behave and how not to behave.

Reward is a very powerful tool when working with non-speaking children. If the baby says something, it is important to at least praise him and emphasize that the parents are happy when he says the words. At the same time, it is important to engage with the child and gradually develop social skills in him.

You need to remember that while the baby does not perceive speech as an adult. He is not able to single out individual complexes from the general sound streams. This means that even the pronunciation of individual phrases causes great difficulties for him. Especially when you consider that the child does not understand at all what semantic load they have.

Therefore, developmentnon-speaking children should start not directly with motivation, but with the ability to recognize individual sounds and their combinations.

How to teach your baby to understand individual words?

Without the development of this skill, it is impossible to expect noticeable results from the child. Therefore, it is worth doing it yourself with the baby and devoting enough time to this.

First of all, it is worth starting with the fact that the child began to understand that certain objects and actions of people are associated with certain sound signals. Therefore, you need to teach the child the simplest commands. For example, every time he wants to demonstrate something, he must say “show”. If he carries a toy and wants to give it to mom or dad, it is enough to repeat “give”, etc. At the same time, it is recommended to help the baby perform the required action. Gradually, he will begin to compare words and actions. Therefore, next time he will try to say the right words himself.

Also, classes with non-speaking children should include a set of additional exercises.

Working with pictures

Children have excellent visual memory. Therefore, working with images greatly helps to overcome the barrier and teach the baby to use speech in everyday life.

If a non-speaking child at the age of 4 has not begun to give the sounds the necessary form, then you can help him in an easy game way. To do this, you need to prepare pictures with his favorite characters, animals, household items, etc. After that, it is enough to show them one by one andrepeat the name of the depicted item.

No reaction at first. But gradually, hearing the same word and seeing a certain image, the child will begin to give signals that he has learned what is drawn in the picture. However, it should be borne in mind that classes with non-speaking children are not suitable for very young children, since until a certain age the baby is not able to distinguish objects well. For example, he will not distinguish a spoon from a toothbrush. Therefore, it is better to choose a list of images carefully, preferably together with a speech therapist. He will tell you which words will be easier for perception and subsequent repetition. Of course, don't start with complicated pictures or photographs.

After that, you can start to complicate classes. For example, if there is a picture of a plate, then you should add a spoon. The child will learn to match the cards. For example, it is worth putting an image of a spoon, a plate and a typewriter in front of him, and ask the child to choose cards that match each other. Of course, before that, it is worth showing him the correct combinations several times.

Visual recognition games

Very often children who do not want to talk have additional problems. For example, a child may have trouble recognizing objects. In such a situation, games for non-speaking children should be aimed at ensuring that the child skillfully sorts objects. It's best to use color matching first. To do this, you need to purchase bright cubes of different shades, but so that the set includes repeating items. After that, you need to put everythingcubes by color (red to red, blue to blue, etc.). At the next stage, all the cubes are mixed and again assembled by one of the parents according to color combinations. After several repetitions of this exercise, you need to ask the baby to distribute the objects himself.

When this material is mastered, you can move on to more complex tasks. In the development of speech in non-speaking children, other methods can be used. For example, it is worth buying a set with objects of different shapes. Or it can be a design with holes in which you need to install cubes, circles, triangles, etc. Also, objects may differ in size, which will help you learn to distinguish them from each other.

During the exercises, you need to constantly name objects. For example, "yellow square", "find another red circle". The child will not only recognize objects better, but will also remember what they are called. Sooner or later, he will want to say their names himself.

Then the classes get more difficult. For example, when all the material is conditional, you can move on to construction.

Starting speech in non-speaking children from scratch: vocal lessons

This is a very powerful technique that has helped more than one family. For example, if we are talking about an adult who has decided to learn English, then most often he unconsciously memorizes some words from the songs of foreign performers. When listening to music, you involuntarily want to sing along and repeat the lyrics of the track, even if it is not clear what it is all about.

Therefore, if the family has a non-speakingchild, you must first pay attention to his individual characteristics. For example, some children find it easier to pronounce vowels first, while others, on the contrary, start with consonants. After that, you can proceed to the practical, game part.

Game exercises for the development of vocal speech in a child

First of all, you need to prepare. The baby should not be distracted by anything. After that, you need to sit down opposite the non-speaking child, open your mouth and pronounce “A” drawlingly. After that, you need to ask the baby to repeat after the adult. If he also says "A", then it is imperative to praise him.

After that, you can complicate the sounds. When he knows the whole set, it is worth moving on to syllables. For example, "ma-ma". If the baby does not succeed, then you need to put one of his hands on his throat, and the other on his own. He will feel the vibrations and start trying to match them.

Speech development in non-speaking children: tips for parents

Specialists quite often face similar problems. In this regard, they have developed a series of recommendations for parents who are afraid that their beloved children will not want to start interacting with the outside world.

First of all, you need to talk as much as possible yourself. Children are like sponges, so they soak up all the information they see around them. Therefore, you need to explain to the child every action you take. For example, if a mother goes to bathe a baby, then she must tell him what they will do, what shampoo they will take, what socks they will choose, etc. At the same time, the voice should be soft, affectionate and calm. In the presence of a child, in no case should you swear, and especially shout at him.

Also, experts recommend that parents encourage the child to speak. For example, while walking, say “give a pen”, “we are crossing the road”, and so on. At the same time, each time passing in the same place, it is worth focusing his attention on the same objects.

To provoke the development of speech in non-speaking children, it is worth using abbreviated names. For example, a car can be called “bi-bi”, a cat “meow-meow”, etc. Although today it is fashionable to talk to children like adults, this does not apply to difficult situations when you need to help a child start talking first the simplest combinations.

Speech therapists also recommend singing lullabies to children before going to bed. At this moment, areas of the brain are activated that absorb and remember information well, even if the child is already fast asleep. At the same time, it is not necessary to change the repertoire every time. It is better to choose one song and hum it constantly. Sooner or later, the baby will try to repeat what he heard repeatedly.

At the same time, experts recommend not to overload the child, so as not to cause him rejection of speech. Therefore, after classes with adults, he should rest for a while, and only then go to the computer or watch TV.

No matter how small the baby is, in no case should one speak in his presence that he is lagging behind in development or that something is wrong with him. Even from the intonation of the voice of adults, he can understand everything wrong and decidethat they are dissatisfied with him or he is “wrong”. This will only aggravate the situation and form new complexes in the child.

If on the playground someone talks about this problem in the presence of a baby, you need to clarify that he is doing well, just one child starts talking at a year old, and the other at 4, but this does not affect love in any way parents, nor on his later life. In no case should a baby feel different from everyone else.

Also, doctors categorically forbid getting annoyed. If the baby did not start talking, this does not mean that he is mischievous. Therefore, you do not need to show him your displeasure. This may make it even more difficult for him to master the necessary skills.

Features of the work of a speech therapist with non-speaking babies

Of course, when such problems appear, you should first of all contact a specialist. The speech therapist has experience in establishing contact with such babies. A doctor can achieve great results, but only if the parents also take part in the education of the child.

If there are non-speaking children at the appointment with a specialist, speech therapy classes begin with the kids getting used to a new person. The task of a speech therapist is to become a friend for a small patient, whom he will perceive as his equal. It is important that the doctor is not too persistent. If he immediately begins to demand from the child to pronounce words, then he will only become more withdrawn into himself. Therefore, it is best if the speech therapist uses a game technique. The child will be more comfortable if there are soft toys next to him. He will be more willing to talk to a teddy bear or a doll.

When contact is established, the doctor moves on to practical exercises. He is trying to develop a child's understanding of speech. For example, he asks a small patient to show his nose or give him a pen.

Classes are very effective, during which the speech therapist encourages the child to speak by applying the so-called orienting reflex. For example, he asks him “What is it there?”, And then shows the baby an interesting toy or picture. Folding books work very well in this situation. The child is always interested in what will appear if you turn the page. At such moments, he can involuntarily exclaim this or that word with joy.

Great importance is given to the development of motor skills. It has long been established that if kids practice finger gymnastics and develop limbs, then the assimilation of accompanying material also occurs faster. Doctors also concentrate on the attentiveness of young patients. It is not uncommon for a child to simply not concentrate and be easily distracted, making it much more difficult for them to start talking or doing other tasks.

Additionally, the doctor is working on the development of the so-called sensory base. This is just the same understanding of the colors and shapes of objects. As a rule, in the arsenal of a speech therapist there are a huge number of toys that contribute to the fact that the baby quickly learns to compare certain objects.

Features of non-speaking babies

Specialists pay attention to what to identify future problems withThe development of speech in a child is difficult, but it is still worth paying attention to some features. For example, such children are often too impulsive. Their mood can change very often, and sometimes it does not depend on what is happening around. At the same time, kids do not listen at all to what adults say. They are naughty and constantly distracted.

Sometimes problems with the development of speech occur against the background of general intellectual underdevelopment. In this case, the child needs a more serious approach, since we are talking about physiological problems. But more often the problems are still caused by the emotional and psychological component.

It is important to understand that the older the child becomes, the more difficult it will be to interest him in certain activities. For example, children of 3 years old learn the material better, and four-year-old kids quickly begin to withdraw into themselves. Therefore, it is important to start classes as early as possible.

In closing

If the child has not yet begun to speak, do not panic ahead of time. Some children take longer to absorb the initial information, but then quickly catch up and even overtake their peers. It is important to constantly engage with your child, talk to him and not behave aggressively. If a child does not feel safe, then he will close himself off from the world. When a baby is too quiet, it's worth finding out why this is happening and fixing the problem. Perhaps someone offended him in the kindergarten or on the playground. But in any case, it is worth consulting with a specialist in these matters.