How to help children with speech and language problems

Post date: Oct 17, 2017 11:47:09 AM

An array of speech and language difficulties can affect the way children talk, understand, process, or analyze information. They also influence voice quality and clarity in spoken words, as well as conversations, comprehension, problem solving, and thought expression via spoken or written words.

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Since communication skills are at the heart of living and experiencing life, disorders in this area can have a radical impact on children, who are developing language as critical to cognitive development as it is to learning. They could go through challenges in their academics, misunderstand social cues, perform poorly in tests, and be unprepared for socialization.

There are different ways to help children going through speech and language problems:

Speech language pathology services

These can include memory retraining, language enhancement, cognitive reorganization, and improving abstract thinking. Not only can children overcome their disabilities – they can also beam with pride and self-esteem.

Reading time

Reading to a child aids brain development. Read the same story again and again to gain the benefits of repetition, and choose books with rhymes and songs. Point to pictures and discuss them, and relate the story to events in your child’s life. Engage the child further by asking questions.

Classroom environment

Use visual backup as much as possible, establish class routines, praise and reward good speaking and listening, and seat pupils with these difficulties away from distractions.

Neurotherapy

Harness a number of advanced technologies that target neurotherapy or tackle neurological dysregulation, which could be causing or contributing to the speech and language issues. These can address not just mental health and addiction, but also learning concerns in children.

Image source: Pixabay.com

Dr. Curtis Cripe is the director of research and development at the NTL Group, which harnesses neuroengineering programs to diagnose and treat a wide array of neurological dysfunctions. Learn more about cognitive science on this page.