The appearance of problems with speech development is a problem that is most often noticed by the most attentive parents. It is very important to monitor how and when the child begins to talk. If there are signs of a significant lag behind peers, it is necessary to visit a pediatrician, speech therapist and pediatric neurologist. Most often, complex treatment of problems with massage, psychological work, hardware methods and medications is prescribed. The feasibility of using drugs during delay speech development in children is determined by a neurologist.

What is the diagnosis of “speech development delay”?

Doctors who deal with the development of a child in the first years of life (neonatologist and pediatrician) determine the periods in which the ability to speak appears. Cries of joy and discontent are already considered the first attempts to show emotions and desires. As the child grows up, he enriches his vocabulary, adds intonation coloring and learns to construct complex sentences according to all the rules of grammar.

The formation of basic skills occurs until the age of 3 - the moment when the child is sent to a group (kindergarten), where the ability to express his emotions and desires is necessary. Group stay in kindergarten is the child’s first experience of socialization, which is impossible without speech.

The diagnosis of “speech development delay” is most often made at 3 years of age. Before this period, if there is any doubt, children are registered with a pediatrician and speech therapist. Work with the latter begins at the age of 1.5 years.

Delayed speech development in children (SDD) - pathological condition, which is characterized by a slow development of the child’s communication skills, a late pre-speech period (humming, babbling and first phrases). Speech development disorder manifests itself in three components: vocabulary (lexical), sound (phonemic) and compliance with rules (grammatical).

The presence of signs of impaired formation of other areas of mental activity (emotions, will, sensations and perceptions, intelligence) indicates a delay in psycho-speech development (DSRD).

Important! Diagnoses related to child development disorders are made only based on the conclusion of a commission of doctors

Treatment methods for speech delay

The most effective treatment for delayed speech development in children is considered to be a combined approach.

One of the reasons for RDD is considered to be an unfavorable situation in the family, the presence of conflicts between parents, and the absence of one of the parents. Therefore, it is important to promptly prescribe psychological work with all family members in order to eliminate the mental “block” of speech development.

Another aspect due to which the lag develops is pathologies of the muscular system (lips, tongue, vocal cords), for example, with cerebral palsy (CP). In this case, the speech therapist conducts courses on articulation. In addition, speech therapy massage is often used, which affects active points, triggers the work of nerve centers and promotes the formation of sound pronunciation skills.

Physiotherapeutic procedures and hardware methods are widely used to activate hearing and speech centers (for example, LOGO+, electrical stimulation), the formation of stable connections and speech reactions.

To correct metabolic processes in the brain, improve blood supply and delivery of nutrients, specialized medications are prescribed.

Important! Only a neurologist has the right to prescribe medications for delayed speech development in children

Drug therapy for speech delay

The processes of assimilation of nutrients in the central nervous system occur through a cascade of reactions with the conversion of glucose (simple carbon, which is part of bread, sweets, fruits and vegetables, cereals) and the release of energy molecules. The latter take part in the conduction of nerve impulses along fibers in tissues, form connections between neurons (cells), and form the baby’s memory and skills. Treatment of RRD is carried out with the help of nootropics (“noos” - brain), - drugs that have a stimulating effect on nervous tissue.

Depending on the active substance, nootropics have a depressing or stimulating effect. If a child has hyperactivity, which is manifested by an accelerated flow of thoughts, speed and a variety of motor movements, it is necessary to prescribe drugs from the Picamilon group. Cerakson is prescribed in the opposite case, when there is a lack of attention paid to the child in the family.

Groups of drugs for the treatment of gastric cancer

Nootropics - drugs to improve a child’s cognitive abilities (photo: www.yourspeech.ru)

The drugs prescribed by a pediatric neurologist, depending on the point of action, are divided into groups:

• Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agents: Pantogam, Aminalon, Picamilon, etc. GABA is a mediator (“messenger”) in the nervous tissue, through which the conduction of impulses is inhibited when they “skip” through the necessary centers. In addition, the substance improves the absorption of glucose by the brain and increases the respiratory activity of tissues (oxygen use).

Pantogam for delayed speech development is prescribed in the form of syrup (for children under 3 years old) and tablets. The drug also has an anticonvulsant and slight sedative effect, improves sleep and reduces anxiety.

• Pyritinol-containing products (Cerebol, Enerbol, Encephabol). Pyritinol has the properties of a membrane stabilizer of nerve cells, reduces the concentration of free radicals (substances that irritate nervous tissue and cause pathological impulses into peripheral centers). Medicines in this group improve the utilization of glucose in the brain and increase the resistance of neurons to oxygen starvation.
• Nootropics with a psychostimulating effect: Ceraxon. The active substance of the drug is citicoline, which increases the regenerative abilities of the nerve cell membrane, increases energy reserves, eliminates swelling and congestion in the brain.

Cerakson is prescribed to increase the level of attention, memory function, and improves the child’s cognitive abilities.

• Vitamin preparations (neuromultivitis, milgamma). Multivitamin complexes have a general stimulating effect on the functional state of the nervous system, improve the synthesis of necessary mediators and promote impulse conduction.
• Preparations based on extracts of animal nerve tissue (Cortexin, Cerebrolysin). Medicines from this group contain active amino acids, which are used for the synthesis of new cells and the repair of damaged areas of nervous tissue. In addition, Cortexin is used to improve cognitive abilities after various psychological and traumatic brain injuries.

Treatment of delayed development of speech skills in a child is accompanied by the supervision of the attending physician. Courses of drug therapy are carried out in parallel with visits to and.

Features of the use of certain drugs

Picamilon is prescribed to children over 3 years of age in tablet form. One tablet contains 20 mg of active substance. According to the instructions for use, children from 3 to 10 years old are recommended to take 1 tablet 3 times a day, older children 2 tablets 3 times a day. Treatment lasts 3 months.

Ceraxon is available in the form of tablets, sachets with powder and syrup for oral use. The drug is prescribed to children over 3 years of age. It is recommended to use 1 sachet or tablet per day, divided into 2 doses, or a teaspoon of syrup per day. The duration of treatment is one month, after which there is a follow-up visit to a neurologist. Clinical studies on the use of Ceraxon in children advise prescribing the drug only to older children and those with serious developmental problems.

Encephabol for the treatment of speech delay is available in the form of an oral suspension. The recommended dose for a child is a teaspoon 3 times a day for 6-8 weeks. After this period, the effectiveness of the drug is assessed and it is decided which medicine to treat RRR in the future.

Important! The method of administration, dose of the drug and duration of treatment are selected by the attending physician, taking into account the individual characteristics of the child and the severity of the delay.

Undesirable consequences of using medications

Increased drowsiness is a side effect of some nootropics (photo: www.hushabyebaby.com.au)

The use of medications to treat cognitive impairment is accompanied by a risk of side effects. Depending on the active substance, group, dose and duration of taking the drug, the following consequences may develop:

• Stimulants: increased excitability, sleep disturbance, insomnia, increased appetite, rash accompanied by itching.
• Inhibitory drugs (Aminalon): drowsiness, slow reaction, tinnitus, headache. All side effects characterized by short duration.

In addition, after using a drug of any group, it is possible to develop allergic reactions in the form of rhinitis, rash, swelling.

Doctor's advice. If allergy symptoms appear, you should immediately stop taking the drug and consult a doctor.

• Symptoms
• Diagnostics
• Treatment
• Consequences of the disease

Every parent should know what speech development delay in children is and how it is detected. The sooner the disease is diagnosed, the more successful the treatment will be and the more optimistic the forecasts for the future development of the baby will be.

FGR is a complex disease, the causes of which often remain unclear. Most often, it is determined before four years of age and represents a significant lag for of this age from the speech norm.

Causes of delayed speech development

Such a serious disease does not arise on its own: there are reasons for delayed speech development, determined by various deviations. It can be:

• pathologies of intrauterine development;
• birth injuries;
• increased intracranial pressure in a child;
• dyslexia due to genetic predisposition;
• mental disorders;
• physical injuries;
• hearing loss;
• brain diseases;
• underdevelopment of the muscles of the mouth and face.

If the causes of delayed speech development remain unclear, this complicates the course of treatment, since the provoking factor continues to work. Therefore, a child with developmental developmental disorders needs a comprehensive examination. This is the only way doctors can make a clear diagnosis. But how to detect the disease in the early stages?

Symptoms of RRD

There are certain symptoms and signs of delayed speech development that can be identified already in early age. To do this, parents are advised to familiarize themselves with the age standards for speech development:

• 4 months: active reaction to adults’ appeals - smiling, crying, cooing;
• 9–12 months: attempts to pronounce simple letter combinations (na-na-na, ba-ba-ba, etc.);
• 12–18 months: reaction to the names of relatives and words that designate surrounding objects;
• 1.5–2 years: self-composition simple words combinations and sentences (subject + predicate), fulfilling simple requests (“give me the ball”, “bring the bear”, etc.);
• 3–4 years: independent construction of mini-sentences, clear, defect-free pronunciation of words.

If deviations from the specified age norms are detected, this is a sure sign of delayed speech development, which must be addressed to a specialist - a psychologist, neurologist, or speech therapist. Only they can accurately determine whether it is worth worrying and will give professional advice on the treatment and prevention of the disease.

Diagnostics

A comprehensive diagnosis of speech development delay in children involves a variety of examinations:

• an audiologist evaluates hearing and identifies problems;
• Age testing is carried out: a test to identify the level of psychomotor development (Denver), according to the early speech development scale, according to the Bayley scale (assessment of newborn development);
• a conversation with parents reveals the child’s ways of communicating with them;
• The motility of the facial muscles is determined if there are difficulties with breastfeeding and the baby is unable to repeat movements with his tongue;
• comparison of speech production and understanding;
• Stimulation of speech development is determined by analyzing information about the child’s home upbringing and his environment, which should help him communicate.

Diagnosis of RRD involves finding out the reasons for the delay, and for this it is necessary to undergo such specialists as a neurologist, speech therapist, psychiatrist, child psychologist. In some cases, brain function tests are required - ECG, MRI, ECHO-EG, etc.

Treatment of speech delay

If detected in a timely manner (up to two years), treatment of speech delay with the joint efforts of parents and the attending physician ends successfully.

• Drug therapy

In cases of mental retardation, medications of various effects are often prescribed to help restore speech. Cortexin, neuromultivit, actovegin, lecithin act as “active nutrition” for brain neurons. Cogitum is a drug that “spurs up” the activity of speech zones. Medicines exclude self-medication and are prescribed only by a neurologist or psychiatrist.

• Healing procedures

Magnetic therapy and electroreflexotherapy selectively restore the functioning of brain centers that are responsible for diction, speech activity, vocabulary, and intellectual abilities. However, electroreflexotherapy has many contraindications: convulsive syndrome, epilepsy, mental disorders.

• Alternative Treatment

Dolphin therapy or hippotherapy can be chosen individually for each child.

• Pedagogical correction

Drug assistance is ineffective in the absence of auxiliary pedagogical influence. A defectologist corrects (corrects and weakens) negative developmental tendencies and prevents the occurrence of secondary deviations and difficulties. For this purpose, he uses visual, technical, and practical means of rehabilitation, and regularly conducts play activities with children. individual plan. There is no general method for treatment: only an individual approach can help.

• Speech therapy massage

For delayed speech development in children, speech therapy massage is very effective procedure, when a specialist acts on certain points of the tongue, lips, cheeks, hands, earlobes. Depending on individual indicators, probe massage by Novikova, massage according to Krause, Dyakova, Prikhodko may be prescribed.

• Exercises

The speech pathologist and parents at home should perform play exercises with the child aimed at developing facial muscles, tongue mobility, and the hearing aid. Songs, onomatopoeia, fairy tale therapy, tongue twisters, articulatory gymnastics for the face, exercises for fine motor skills there are a lot of developments, you need to use them, choose them on the advice of specialists and regularly work with your baby.

Parents should not stand aside and place all their hopes only on doctors. Such a child needs to be dealt with not only daily, but hourly, which requires a lot of time and effort.

Consequences of the disease

The consequences of delayed speech development may be as follows:

• lagging behind peers in intellectual and mental development;
• this difference has increased over the years;
• Difficulties in learning at school: the question of transferring a child to a correctional (auxiliary) school often arises.

It is much easier to prevent a disease than to cure it. Therefore, parents need to communicate as much as possible with their child from prenatal development. Talk to him, listen to him, be interested in his inner world - children growing up in love and care rarely experience difficulties with speech development.

The sooner signs of delayed psycho-speech development in a child are identified, the greater the hope for a complete recovery.

How can the causes of ZPRD be identified?

To identify disturbances in the functioning of the child’s body, it is necessary to take a clinical blood test.

Where can I get tested?
In order for the test results to be as reliable as possible, it is necessary to properly prepare for their delivery.

How to prepare?
Make an appointment for a free appointment with a doctor. A specialist will conduct a consultation and interpret the test results.

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For various reasons, there are more and more children with delayed speech development. But underdevelopment of speech is not such a terrible problem if it is detected in time and not started. And the responsibility in this matter falls primarily on the parents, who must notice the illness, refer the child for a full examination and choose the best doctors. If the delay in speech development is not corrected in time, as the child grows, his psyche will lag further and further and it will be extremely difficult for him to study at school and communicate with peers.

Over the past two decades, the statistics of identified deviations in the psycho-emotional development of children has increased tenfold. Speech development delay (SSD) also inhibits the development of thinking (DSRD is formed), and, on the contrary, congenital mental and neurological diseases provoke underdevelopment of speech. Delayed psycho-speech development is diagnosed more often in children over 5 years of age, of whom on average 20% have this disease. This situation is understandable: the child begins to actively communicate with others at this age, otherwise the parents notice something is wrong. But 5 years is already quite a late age to start treatment for PVD. If a child does not speak at all before the age of 6, then the probability of his recovery is 0.2%, and if there is no speech even after 7 years, then it will no longer exist. Of course, the possibility of curing delayed psycho-speech development depends on its degree and on the techniques used. But the sooner parents identify signs of this disease in their child - ideally at 2-3 years - the greater the hope for a full recovery.

How to identify SPD: signs and symptoms of delayed psycho-speech development

• 4 months ZPRD, if it is caused by congenital factors, can begin to manifest itself at a fairly early age of the child. Signs of delayed psychospeech development:
• : the child does not respond to the words and gestures of the parents, does not smile (these are also symptoms of autism); 8–9 months
• : absence of babbling (repetition of identical syllables); 1 year
• : the child is very quiet, makes almost no sounds; 1.5 years
• : does not say simple words (“mom”, “give”) and does not perceive them, does not understand when he is addressed by name or with a request; may also not be able to chew; 2 years
• : knows and uses a very limited set of words, does not repeat new words after others; 2.5 years
• : uses no more than 20 words, cannot form a phrase out of two or three words, does not understand the names of body parts and objects; 3 years

A child with PVD at any age may experience increased salivation and an always slightly open mouth. Such children are characterized by hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, inattention, fatigue, and poor memory. The child thinks very slowly, has an undeveloped imagination and a narrow range of emotional manifestations, experiences great difficulties in communicating with peers, and therefore avoids them. Physically, such children are also poorly developed and may even have cerebral palsy. Symptoms of ZPRD also manifest themselves in organic changes. When examined using electroencephalography (EEG) or the evoked potentials (EP) method, disturbances are detected in the left hemisphere (it is responsible for speech development). In general, the longer a child experiences difficulties with speech, the more his mental and mental development is delayed. After all, the older children are, the more information they receive from what they are told in dialogues with others. This is another reason to start treatment for PVD as early as possible.

The main causes of delayed speech and mental development

Delayed speech and psycho-speech development are not independent diseases, but consequences of deviations in the development of the brain and central nervous system. Factors provoking ZPRD:

• Mother's illnesses during pregnancy. Impaired fetal development can be caused by infection, poisoning, or injury.
• Oxygen starvation (hypoxia) of the fetus in the womb.
• Difficult birth (rapid, premature, entanglement of the umbilical cord around the neck), trauma to the child during childbirth (perinatal encephalopathy, injury to the central nervous system, cervical spine).
• The child has suffered severe infections (causing brain diseases) and injuries at an early age.
• Genetic, chromosomal diseases in which the structure of the brain is disrupted.
• Incorrect upbringing: the child grows up under too much care or, on the contrary, is abandoned to the mercy of fate, the child is abused at home. More often, children with mental retardation disorders come from asocial families.
• Severe mental trauma at an early age.

Diseases that can cause delayed psycho-speech development:

• congenital anomalies of the central nervous system and metabolic disorders in it;
• epilepsy and other mental illnesses;
• cerebral ischemia;
• hydrocephalus;
• increased intracranial pressure;
• a brain tumor;
• pathologies of cerebral vessels;
• leukodystrophy;
• violation of liquor dynamics.

Let us emphasize once again that delayed speech and mental development occurs due to disruption of brain function (under the influence of birth injuries, infections), the presence of certain hereditary diseases (ZPRD worsens in each subsequent generation), unfavorable psychological climate, in which the child grows. So it is necessary to treat not only PVRD, but also the reasons for its appearance in the first place.

ZPRD with elements of autism

As a result of malfunctions of the central nervous system or the impact of severe infections on the child’s body, not only speech and mental development delays can form: in some cases, the disease is accompanied by signs of autism. Autistic traits in a child’s behavior:

• Does not enter into emotional contact with people, does not smile, does not reach out to parents.
• Prone to frequent attacks of aggression, when he is dissatisfied with something, he can direct this aggression towards himself (biting himself, hitting himself).
• Stereotypical behavior: may sway for a long time in one place or walk in a circle, twirl one object in his hand, tends to place objects in a row, reacts negatively to any changes.
• Does not know how to play with toys, uses them in his own way, may be committed to only one toy or part of it.
• Avoids society, does not know how to interact with peers.

Inability to understand spoken speech is also one of the signs of autism, as is delayed speech development. If the above traits are present, the child’s treatment should be carried out with the participation of several specialists, including a psychologist.

How to treat ZPRR

For PVRD, treatment should begin as early as possible and in a comprehensive manner. The therapy involves parents, a neurologist, a speech therapist, a psychologist, and a reflexologist. If the degree of developmental delay is low and treatment is started early, you can count on good results. The later treatment begins, the less likely it is that the child will be able to study in a regular school class and communicate normally with peers.

The main methods of treating PVRD:

Microcurrent reflexology- a method that represents the impact of ultra-small electrical impulses on biologically active points of the brain, neuroreflex zones. Such impulses make it possible to restore the functioning of the central nervous system in those areas where it was disrupted. With ZPRR, the doctor uses the device to influence areas of the brain associated with speech: its understanding and reproduction, vocabulary. This method has been proven to be highly effective for hydrocephalus. Microcurrent reflexology is allowed for children from 6 months. Classes with a defectologist and speech therapist. Defectologists work with children two or more years old; their work is aimed at developing memory, fine motor skills, and thinking. Speech therapists, as a rule, begin working with children who are at least 4–5 years old. The task of these specialists is to teach the child correct articulation, composing sentences and texts. An additional measure for delayed speech development is speech therapy massage, aimed at stimulating the facial and masticatory muscles of the face and neck, making it easier for the child to pronounce sounds and their combinations. A serious mistake for parents would be to contact a speech therapist without first working with the child. As mentioned above, 5 years is quite late time to begin corrective work for signs of PVD. But it’s a good continuation if this work was started earlier with other specialists. Drug therapy. Medications for delayed psycho-speech development are prescribed by a neurologist or neuropathologist. First of all, he (using computed tomography, EEG and other methods) identifies pathologies of the central nervous system in a child, and then develops an individual treatment regimen for these disorders and their consequences. Most often, neurologists prescribe nootropic drugs: Actovegin, Cortexin, Piracetam (and drugs containing the same substance), Encephabol, Neuromultivit, etc. Unfortunately, in Russia, due to the lack of competence of many doctors, psychotropic funds are not always prescribed “at the address”; in some cases you can do without them, or not “sit” on them constantly.

Additional ways to correct PVD:

• Working with a child psychologist. It is needed, for example, in cases where a delay in speech development is associated with psychological trauma, a dysfunctional family situation, when the child avoids peers.
• Alternative approaches to treatment: hippo and dolphin therapy, art and music therapy, development of motor skills, large and fine, various developmental exercises. Parents can work with the child themselves, for example, putting together puzzles, guessing musical instruments by sounds, or arranging outdoor games.
• Osteopathy. This method of alternative medicine can also help children with PVD. By manually influencing active points on the body, the osteopath tries to balance the functioning of the nervous system, metabolism, and psyche of the child.

Most often, SPD cannot be eliminated with the help of pills or work with a speech therapist alone. The task of parents is to find a professional who will conduct a correct diagnosis and prescribe the most effective treatment, which includes different methods. Having not found such a doctor in their country or not seeing noticeable results from therapy, Russians usually turn to foreign specialists for help.

Treatment of mental retardation abroad

Popular countries to which Russian residents take their children for treatment of SPD are Israel, China, and Germany. Treatment in all cases is not cheap. For example, in relatively inexpensive China, one course of treatment, including accommodation and transfer, will cost 6–10 thousand dollars, and several such courses may be needed. Russian parents usually resort to the help of foreign specialists in cases where domestic medicine is already throwing up its hands. Abroad, such children are given hope for at least a partial recovery. Foreign clinics are trusted because they often have more professional doctors, the latest techniques, state-of-the-art equipment, and attentive and polite attitude towards clients. The rehabilitation course abroad can last several months. In Germany, China and Israel, with the help of complex (medicinal, manual, motor, speech) therapy, they achieve really good results. Children after treatment (if it is not started too late) are well rehabilitated to study in a comprehensive school, do not experience difficulties in communication, Everyday life. In severe cases (for example, when cerebral palsy is combined with cerebral palsy or other serious diseases), foreign doctors resort to microsurgery techniques. However, a considerable variety of approaches to treatment, both traditional and alternative, can be seen in Moscow clinics.

Where to treat ZPRR in Moscow

There are several clinics in the Russian capital that offer different methods for correcting PVD. Techniques used in Moscow medical centers:

• Stimulating therapy: impact on the brain with electrical and magnetic impulses, stimulation of speech, auditory, visual activity (“Clinic of Restorative Neurology”).
• Psychological assistance to patients: development of cognitive and behavioral processes, speech and communication skills, preparation for writing, psychotherapy, etc. (“Medicor Plus”).
• Pathogenetic technology: autoneuritotherapy - activation of the speech centers of the brain, introduction of nootropics into the brain or lymph under the influence of microcurrents, acupuncture, EEG music therapy, speech therapy (“CORTEX”).
• Minimally invasive microsurgical operation: connection of additional vessels to the speech areas of the brain (“Alexandria”).

We have named only a few examples of treatment for cervical cancer offered in Moscow. According to patient reviews, treatment by doctors in the capital can also have good results.

IN modern world The number of children who exhibit certain deviations from the norm in speech development is rapidly increasing. According to statistics, after conducting examinations of preschoolers and primary school children for the purpose of prevention, it was found that every second child has certain disorders associated with speaking skills. Almost every fifth child faces a pathology such as delayed speech development.

According to experts, many modern children suffer from speech disorders or do not know how to express their speech at all by the age of 2-3. Conditions for the normal development of speech activity in a child

In order for the development of conversational skills in a child to occur naturally, without possible violations, first of all you need to:

• achievement of the required degree of maturity by various brain structures;
• correct and coordinated functioning of the vocal and respiratory systems;
• a sufficient level of development of hearing, vision, motor skills and emotions;
• growing need to communicate with others.

Stages of development of speech skills

During the first year of life, a child's speech progresses rapidly. Newborn babies are not yet able to utter any sounds, but they are excellent at communicating their needs to others by crying. Crying is the very first and natural way a baby communicates with parents and other people.

Child's age	Speech skills
2 months	Time of appearance of the first sounds. The baby begins not only to vocalize, but also to react when they talk to him - for example, to smile or be happy when he sees his parents.
3-6 months	The beginning of humming, repetition of the same sounds, squealing and laughter. At this age, the baby carefully watches the movement of his lips and tries to copy.
6-9 months	Syllables and combinations of different sounds that do not carry a semantic load are added to the sounds, but such babbling plays an important role in pre-speech development.
9-10 months	An understanding of adult speech is formed, and the first words appear. The babbling becomes melodic, with different intonations and pitches.
12-14 months	Pronounce at least 2 words meaningfully, follow simple verbal directions, and recognize familiar objects.
1.5-2 years	Understanding of the speech of others quickly develops, vocabulary grows, and the first phrases appear. During this period, brain cells are ready to assimilate words and combine them into phrases.
: uses no more than 20 words, cannot form a phrase out of two or three words, does not understand the names of body parts and objects;	Mastering the grammar of your native language. Slowing down the rate of speech formation.

Normally, a three-year-old child is excellent at expressing his thoughts to his parents, but for those around him, his speech may be a little slurred

The age at which the first words appear varies from 9 months to one year and 3 months. This usually happens later in boys than in girls.

When a child turns one and a half years old, it is important that he is provided with a sufficient amount of speech that can be imitated - that is why parents should monitor how correctly and beautifully they speak to their baby. With a sufficient passive base, the baby will soon move on to independent conversation.

Causes and types of speech development delay

The launch of conversational skills does not always follow a natural scenario. Often the time to speak has already come, but the baby continues to remain silent or his statements are so illegible that even parents find it difficult to understand what he means. For children who have delayed speech development, there is a characteristic difference between how they understand what is said and how they express their own thoughts verbally.

The behavior of different children with mental retardation during the examination period is radically different. For example, some behave trustingly and affectionately, while others may cry or scream, run back and forth and not be able to concentrate, some are simply silent. For this reason, it is not possible to make an accurate diagnosis at one time. This situation requires monitoring the baby, consulting with specialists and taking an anamnesis.

Tempo ZRR

In the case of delayed speech development, the child begins to speak late, although his intellect remains intact, his auditory attention is not impaired, and he understands people perfectly. Such delays in speech development most often result from:

• disease;
• weakened body;
• miseducation;
• limited communication.

An inquisitive child uses gestures, intonation, facial expressions and vocalizations to communicate. The start of speech for children with speech delay can occur quite unexpectedly, after which it will develop normally. Some preschoolers with speech delays are characterized by a sharp jump from a small vocabulary to a full-fledged conversation in phrases. Linguists gave this phenomenon the name “language explosion.” Most often, such a transition occurs in the summer - it is in the summer that the child’s body becomes stronger, and he himself receives a lot of vivid emotions and impressions.

Very often, in order for children to overcome speech delays, a certain stimulus is required to speak. Such an impetus can come from classes with peers or with a speech therapist.

Abundance of emotions in summer period can become an impetus for the so-called “language explosion” - a sharp leap in the development of a child’s speech Alalia

The name alalia was given to the complete or partial absence of speech. Its occurrence is preceded by damage to areas of the brain, responsible for the speech. A child can get them while in the womb or during infancy. This delay in speech development is not a consequence of decreased intelligence or hearing.

In the case of alalia, children need special training and treatment from a neurologist. Without this, they will not be able to learn to speak until school, and sometimes beyond. When communicating, they use babble and some paralinguistic means: facial expressions, intonation and gestures.

If a child diagnosed with speech delay is not treated or corrected after 5 years, the child may also lag behind in mental development. His knowledge about the world will be much inferior to the knowledge of those guys who are already talking. In addition, with alalia, all speech aspects are affected:

• limited set of words;
• expressive speech and its systematic disorder;
• incorrect pronunciation of sounds;
• difficulties in mastering the grammatical rules of the native language.

FDD due to hearing loss or communication disorders

The most common and quite serious reason leading to delayed speech development is actually hearing loss. During the first year of life, the humming and babbling of a baby whose hearing is impaired practically does not differ from the pre-speech reactions of a child with good hearing. However, by the age of one year, babbling gradually fades and eventually disappears completely. If the degree of hearing loss is high, the child will be able to speak only after special classes with a teacher of the deaf. With a slight degree of hearing loss, speech appears a little later than that of peers, plus this affects its quality, namely grammar, voice, prosody and pronunciation of sounds.

Symptoms of commutative disorders in a child, which cause delayed speech development, include:

• lack of a response smile or turning the head when addressing the baby;
• selective and short-term attention;
• reluctance to contact close people, including mother;
• motor clumsiness;
• monotonous games alone.

Such a child is quite capable of pronouncing sounds, sound combinations and words, but he does not use this to communicate. As a result of limited speech contact, the lexico-grammatical structure of speech develops poorly, the voice is disrupted, and various phonetic disorders occur.

Speech development in hearing-impaired children is more difficult than in their peers without disturbances in the functioning of the sensory organs. Delayed psycho-speech development

In this case, children typically do not have enough good formation higher mental functions, including the functions of memory and voluntary attention. Such children can be divided into 2 groups: those who have emotional and volitional deviations and children with a predominance of intellectual disability.

Delayed psycho-speech development has its own symptoms. Children with it tend to:

• start speaking in phrases at a later stage;
• experience difficulties trying to construct a sentence grammatically and semantically;
• having a small vocabulary.

Sometimes a combined pathology occurs. The presence of 2 or more defects negatively affects the acquisition of speaking skills. Such deviations contribute to mutual reinforcement.

Treatment of ZRR

Delayed speech development in children requires an integrated approach, and it should begin at early stages. Parents and specialists such as a neurologist, speech therapist, psychologist and reflexologist take part in the therapy. In a situation where the lag is insignificant, timely treatment will be effective and will give an excellent result, otherwise the likelihood increases that the baby will have to attend a specialized school and will have difficulties in normal communication with peers.

Basic approaches to working on correction of mental retardation

There are three main directions in the treatment of speech delay:

1. Microcurrent reflexology. The essence of the method is that ultra-small electrical impulses affect biologically active and neuroreflex areas of the brain. After such an impact, the functioning of the central nervous system is restored in those areas where disturbances were observed. With the help of a special apparatus, impulses exert their effect on the parts of the brain responsible for speech, its understanding, reproduction and vocabulary. There is data proving the effectiveness of microcurrent reflexology for hydrocephalus. Its use is permitted from the age of six months.
2. Classes with a defectologist and speech therapist. The main goal pursued by a defectologist is the development of memory, fine motor skills and thinking in the baby. Unlike speech therapists, who begin working with children who have reached 4-5 years of age, defectologists begin working with 2-year-olds. The speech therapist’s tasks include teaching the child to articulate correctly and compose sentences and texts. Besides, effective means is a special massage and gymnastics - they stimulate the functioning of facial and neck muscles, responsible for facial expressions and the ability to chew. Due to this, the pronunciation of sounds and sound combinations becomes less difficult for the child.
3. Therapy using drugs. Medications for the treatment of delayed speech development are prescribed by a neurologist or neurologist. First, it is necessary to determine what kind of central nervous system pathology the child is dealing with - for this there are computed tomography and EEG, after which a treatment plan for the identified abnormalities and their consequences is drawn up. Nootropic drugs that neurologists most often resort to are Actovegin, Cortexin, Piracetam, Encephabol, Neuromultivit and others. It is worth understanding that sometimes you can cope with the problem of speech delay without psychotropic drugs.

Supportive treatments

Delayed speech development in children 3 years of age can be treated in a comprehensive manner, which includes additional methods such as:

1. Classes with a child psychologist. They are necessary if the delay in speech development in a child is caused by psychological trauma, an unfavorable situation in the family, or the child’s reluctance to communicate with other children.
2. Alternative methods. This different kinds therapies based on interaction with horses and dolphins, including music and drawing. All kinds of developmental exercises together with parents are also great - for example, assembling puzzles or outdoor games.
3. Osteopathy. Osteopaths, using manual influence on the active points of the child’s body, try to bring the functioning of the nervous system, metabolism and psyche of the little one into a balanced state.

The result is achieved exclusively through correct diagnosis and comprehensive treatment. From Dr. Komarovsky’s video lessons, we can conclude that just working with a speech therapist and taking pills is not enough to overcome delayed speech development.

Home therapy for delayed speech development

An integral component of the treatment of speech delay is speech therapy and developmental classes at home. The ability to speak directly depends on motor skills, so emphasis should be placed on its training - games with construction sets, puzzles, mosaics and cubes are ideal for this. Also, a baby at 2-3 years old can already be taught to fasten buttons and handle laces.

Many children with speech delays have difficulty switching from movement to movement, they lack dexterity, and are not good at drawing and modeling. It is also very useful to engage in active games and games with speech accompaniment - they teach the child spatial orientation, dexterous and rhythmic movements with a change in their tempo. At the age of 3-4 years, the baby can be taken to one of the many clubs.

• Child's health from A to Z

Parents are usually very sensitive to how their child speaks. After all, correct speech is one of the most obvious signs of a child’s normal intellectual development. If the baby begins to speak early, clearly and clearly, the parents are happy and proud. But a child with speech delay causes concern and anxiety for mothers and fathers. And this is absolutely correct - after all, speech disorders are effectively treated only between the ages of 2.5 and 7 years. Then it might just be too late.

Normal speech development in children

How should a child’s speech develop? What is considered normal?

• IN year The baby should be able to speak about ten words. Naturally, these are still “childish” words, understandable only to him and you - “ma”, “ba”, “ki” (pussy). At the same time, the child must know the names of familiar objects and actions and respond to them: “give me a cube,” “let’s go for a walk,” “bed,” “spoon,” “window.”
• IN two years the baby begins to speak in short sentences and use simple adjectives and pronouns (“I went”, “white pussy”). A child’s vocabulary usually consists of 50–100 words.
• IN : knows and uses a very limited set of words, does not repeat new words after others; the baby must pronounce about 200–300 words more or less correctly, and also know his name and speak and use adjectives. At this age, the child begins to ask questions, tries to imitate the voices of animals - “meow”, “woof-woof”, etc.
• TO three years Children should be able to coherently compose a story from several sentences. Pronouns, adverbs, and adjectives must be used correctly in speech. A stranger must understand the baby.

Naturally, the given norms are very relative - after all, all children have a different character, temperament, heredity, and the environment in which they grow up is different. In addition, as a rule, boys begin to speak 4–5 months later than girls. However, these guidelines will help attentive parents assess whether the baby’s speech is appropriate for his age. If the lag is significant, then perhaps it’s time to contact a specialist.

Signs of obvious speech delay in children

Parents should become concerned if the child:

• IN 4 months does not respond to his mother’s appeal, does not smile at her.
• IN 9 months doesn't babble.
• IN : the child is very quiet, makes almost no sounds;: does not speak simple words; does not know the names of surrounding objects and his own name; cannot follow a simple command, such as “give me your hand” or “come to me.”
• IN : knows and uses a very limited set of words, does not repeat new words after others;: knows few words; does not remember the names of objects; cannot speak in sentences of at least two words.
• IN 3 years: speaks incomprehensibly even to you; cannot form a sentence of three words, but speaks in phrases from fairy tales, rhymes and “cartoons” or repeats phrases adults uttered in front of him; does not understand your explanations; speaks very slowly or, conversely, too quickly, swallowing endings; the baby has difficulty chewing and may choke on even a small piece; walks with his mouth constantly half open; he has increased salivation for no obvious reason.

If you notice any of these signs in your baby, you should immediately contact your pediatrician. The doctor will order an examination and refer you to the appropriate specialist. The sooner treatment for speech delay in a child is started, the greater the chance that by school time he will be no different from his peers.

What are the types of speech delays in children?

Delayed speech development (SDD)- this is when a child does not speak as expected at his age. There are:

• Speech articulation disorder- the child speaks very vaguely, even his loved ones cannot understand him, but at the same time he understands everything, has no mental disorders and is otherwise completely healthy.
• Expressive language delay- the baby’s speech lags significantly behind his age norm/the child speaks very little or is completely silent.
• Receptive language disorder- the child does not understand well what is said to him, although his hearing is fine.
• Combinations previous disorders.

Causes of speech delay in children

Experts divide the causes of speech disorders into social and physiological—those that are related to health. TO social factors usually attributed to improper upbringing, which deprives children of the desire to speak.

• This may be insufficient attention to the child - he simply has no one to talk to. Or the parents speak so quickly that the baby does not have time to isolate individual words and, in the end, stops trying to understand the adult.
• Sometimes speech problems can be caused by an environment that is unsuitable for the child - the child grows up in an environment where speech loses its value. For example, the TV is constantly on, adults communicate loudly with each other, and there are a lot of extraneous sounds. The baby gets used to not listening to speech and begins to speak in quotes from “cartoons”, without attaching meaning to the words.
• Oddly enough, overprotection can also lead to a delay in speech development - in families with overly attentive parents, children may also lose motivation to develop speech - after all, they are already understood!
• It is very common for children in bilingual families to have speech difficulties.
• And, of course, excessive demands on the child can “discourage” any desire to speak. Parents force the child to repeat the same words and phrases, causing him to have a negative attitude towards speech.

Tempo delay of speech, associated with a lack of motivation to communicate, is the easiest to correct. Of course, if you consult a doctor in a timely manner. Best results gives treatment started before 3–4 years of age. If you start working with your child on time, then by the age of six he can catch up with his peers and even surpass them. However, you can start speech correction later, even at 5 or 7 years old. The main thing is not to ignore the problem. TO physiological factors Speech development delays include the following:

• hearing impairment;
• underdevelopment of articulation organs: lips, tongue, facial muscles, soft palate;
• visual impairment;
• brain damage, neurological diseases (intrauterine trauma, hypoxia, difficult or premature birth, injuries in the first year of life, severe illnesses at an early age);
• psychological trauma (fear, parental quarrels);
• parental alcoholism;
• heredity (if one of the parents in the family started speaking late, then this is a reason for close monitoring of the baby and early contact with a specialist);
• congenital diseases: cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism, hyperactivity syndrome.

Delayed speech development in children associated with the above reasons is much more difficult and takes longer to treat. In these cases, the help of a doctor is required, and sometimes the joint efforts of different specialists.

Which specialists deal with speech disorders?

Many parents believe that speech therapists treat speech development disorders. In fact, speech therapists only “set” the correct pronunciation of sounds. They start working with children at the age of four or five. Very few speech therapists work with younger children. But under no circumstances should you wait that long if the child clearly does not speak as expected at his age. Speech delay in a child requires, first of all, finding out the reasons. Only after this will the correct specialist - a defectologist, psychologist, neurologist, speech therapist or even a psychiatrist - be able to correct the baby's development. A neurologist can begin treating a one-year-old child if he has been diagnosed with any neurological disease. Defectologists and corrective teachers work with 2-year-old children; they improve memory, thinking, attention, and motor skills. At the age of 4–5, speech therapists join in and teach children to speak clearly and competently and to construct a story.

How is ZRR treated?

Speech delay in children can be treated - the main thing is to start it on time, be patient and show some persistence.
Treatment for speech disorders usually consists of the following components.

• Drug therapy

Your doctor will prescribe medications to you; as a rule, these are drugs to “feed” the neurons of the brain and stimulate speech areas.

• Magnetic therapy, electroreflexotherapy, dolphin therapy and hippotherapy

These methods of therapy allow you to influence the areas of the brain responsible for diction, memory, and intelligence. Magnetic therapy has no contraindications, but electroreflexotherapy cannot be used to treat children with epilepsy, seizure syndrome and mental illness. Dolphin therapy, hippotherapy and similar alternative methods are practiced by some specialists. These treatment methods are selected individually.

• Work withteacher-correctologist

No drug therapy, unless it is accompanied by the work of a corrective teacher, psychologist or speech pathologist, is capable of eliminating speech delay. The task of teachers is mental development children, their social adaptation, correction of past upbringing mistakes, improvement of intellectual abilities, memory and attention. Each child is unique, so specialists work with each child individually.

• Daily work with parents

And, of course, parents should not hope that doctors will do all the work. The successful outcome of treatment largely depends on the persistence, consistency and patience of mothers and fathers. It is very important that parents engage with their baby in a playful environment without causing negative emotions in him.

What methods do corrective teachers use?

The main methods for correcting speech delays are:

• Music and art therapy. Music therapy helps improve memory and attention. Art therapy improves visual memory.
• Subject-sensorytherapy, development of gross and fine motor skills, massage. For example, everyone is very helpful finger games- modeling from plasticine, drawing with fingers, putting together puzzles, construction sets, pyramids, playing with cubes, fastening buttons, stringing beads on a thread. This is understandable - in the brain, speech centers are located next to the centers of fine motor skills of the hands, therefore, by developing motor centers, the child automatically improves his speech.
• Outdoor games. Teachers can recommend outdoor games that develop the ability to navigate in space, the ability to move rhythmically, or special games with speech accompaniment.

In general, the problem of speech delay in a child can be dealt with if you approach it seriously and responsibly. You just shouldn’t leave it to chance, hoping that over time everything will go away on its own. His future largely depends on how well and correctly a child speaks by the age of six. psychological development, his ability to communicate with peers and adults, his ability to learn at school. The main thing is not to miss the moment - the sooner you start treatment for speech delay, the greater the chance that it will be successful.

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Speech is a way of communication between people, in which one side is the formation of thoughts into linguistic expression, and the second is the perception of structures created with the help of words.

Speech: how it works

We need speech in order to correctly express the thoughts and images created in our heads in order to successfully communicate with other people. And it has the following characteristic properties:

• meaningfulness - how full of meaning the speech is;
• understandability: are the sentences constructed correctly, are the words chosen well and are they pronounced correctly;
• expressiveness - emotional richness, the ability to use epithets, metaphors and other means;
• effectiveness - whether we are able to influence the actions and thoughts of other people through speech.

The process of speech is carried out thanks to the two hemispheres of the brain. But the perception of someone else's speech is carried out only by the left.

The process of pronouncing words and sentences is automatic and simple for us. However, it is worth knowing that in fact this is a complex action in which many of our organs take part. First of all, the voice is sound vibrations. The vocal apparatus creates obstacles for the air leaving the body, which is why different sounds appear.

Speech problems

Speech problems occur very often in childhood when the child does not yet have full speech abilities. Often these defects can be treated and corrected. But sometimes they stay for life. Classification of speech problems such as dyslalia (failure to pronounce certain sounds, tongue-tiedness):

1. Simple form - one or more sounds from one group are poorly pronounced, for example: z, s or r, l.
2. Difficult - several groups of sounds are poorly understood.
3. Physiological - up to a certain age (5 years), some sounds are poorly pronounced due to an undeveloped speech apparatus. It is also called age-related.
4. Functional - a violation of pronounced sounds, in which there are no deviations.
5. Mechanical - typical for anatomical defects due to heredity, congenitality. It can also be an acquired disease.

The reasons for these types of defects can be different, for example, a functional one can appear due to unfair upbringing of children, if there is an incorrect speech pattern or bilingualism, changes in speech are also possible when frequent illnesses, use of incorrect articulation or underdeveloped hearing.

The causes of mechanical type speech problems can be:

• structural features of organs: tongue, teeth, etc.;
• hereditary characteristics of the body;
• congenital defects - deviations in intrauterine development;
• acquired ones arise during life for various reasons.

Alalia is the absence of speech mainly in children, although they may have excellent hearing. With this disease, the child hears speech, but cannot understand it, just as, for example, we cannot understand the speech of foreigners. The child cannot learn to speak.

Dysarthria is a nervous disease in which a person pronounces all sounds poorly; they turn out blurred and incomprehensible.

Stuttering is a very common disease in which the rhythm of speech, tempo is lost, and spasms appear in the speech apparatus.

Each type is treated in certain ways. Of course, there are cases when a person cannot be cured.

Treatment methods

Not all types of disease can be helped by medications and other treatments. Most often, gymnastics are prescribed for the speech apparatus. However, there are cases where medicinal herbs can help.

If, for example, the speech muscles are very tense, which is why words and entire phrases are difficult to come by, then some recipes can help relax the speech apparatus:

• Pour 1.5 cups of pine nut shells with vodka (half a liter) and let it brew in a warm and dark place for about 10 days. You should drink the tincture one spoon three times a day;
• one spoon of dill seeds should be poured with boiling water and allowed to brew for 10 minutes, drink this infusion fifteen minutes before meals;
• You can pour boiling water over one spoon of calendula flowers and let it brew for half an hour. Drink this glass in three doses per day.

Herbs such as sweet clover, St. John's wort, lingonberry leaf, clover, yarrow, chamomile, etc. are also good for relaxing muscles.

1. Mix two tablespoons of cornflower and medicinal dawn flowers, one of St. John's wort and four of oregano. Pour water according to the scheme: for one tablespoon of this composition - one glass of water, boil and leave for 10 minutes. Drink this medicinal decoction before meals.
2. Mix one spoon each: black root, sweet clover, cyanosis root, open lumbago and two spoons each: mint, primrose and Chernobyl. As in the previous recipe, add water using the same scheme, boil and leave for 10 minutes. Drink before meals.

Clinic services in this area

Speech defects often go away on their own in childhood - up to 5 years. But some cases deserve a certain approach and long-term treatment from specialists.

Speech therapist services are provided by many clinics and private doctors. It is important to choose not only an expensive and promising doctor, but also one that is pleasant for the child. So that the baby does not become withdrawn, but, on the contrary, opens up, an individual approach is needed; joint activities with parents or other similar children.

The situation is much worse with adults who have serious speech defects that were not treated in time. Over time, their speech apparatus has fully formed, and what could be easily corrected at 5 or 7 years old is now very difficult to change. But even with such patients, work is successfully carried out and even certain results are achieved.

Treatment of speech development delay is carrying out comprehensive correctional and developmental work aimed at normalizing the child’s speech function. With such a diagnosis, it is important to start treatment as early as possible, this increases the chances of completely eliminating the problem. SDD is a complex pathology in which the process of speech formation lags far behind age-related norms. The disease is best corrected with the help of.

Mostly, this diagnosis of “delayed speech development” is given to children at 3-4 years of age. With this pathology, the child’s slow acquisition of the norms of his native language is observed in comparison with his peers.

When speech is delayed, all its components suffer, from sounds and vocabulary to phrases. This disease is more often detected in boys than in girls. This leaves a certain imprint on the mental processes in children.

Taking into account this particularity of the pathology, most often disorders such as mental retardation and mental retardation occur simultaneously, and a diagnosis of “delayed psycho-speech development” is made. Speech disorders in childhood are a medical and pedagogical problem, the solution of which is carried out with the participation of various specialists.

Types of treatment and features

When diagnosing a disorder such as how to treat the pathology, a specialist determines.

Important: parents should remember that the earlier the disorder is detected, the higher the chances of a full recovery. Experts say that you should start working as soon as you suspect the disease.

At 3-4 years old, specialists are already working with children who are involved in the correction of speech disorders. The fight against RRD in children is usually carried out using the following methods:

1. . After a thorough examination of the baby, the neurologist prescribes him to take certain medicines, the action of which is aimed at activating the activity of speech centers and feeding brain neurons. Parents are strictly prohibited from giving such drugs to their child on their own, since they should only be prescribed by a specialist, taking into account the advanced state of the disease and the individual characteristics of the body.
2. Physiotherapeutic treatment. Physiotherapy for delayed speech development in children includes magnetic therapy and electroreflexotherapy. Thanks to them, it is possible to normalize the functioning of individual parts of the brain responsible for speech. Such procedures are allowed from 2 years of age, but mental disorders, seizures and epilepsy are contraindications.
3. Classes with a special education teacher. Taking medications and physiotherapeutic treatment should be accompanied by work with speech correction specialists. Thanks to daily classes, it is possible to eliminate developmental defects and prevent the possible occurrence of speech inhibition. In addition, specialists teach the child to overcome difficulties during the treatment process, and all work is carried out according to an individual plan.

As prescribed by a neurologist, an EEG can be performed in case of delayed speech development, thanks to which it is possible to assess the biopotentials of the brain and identify foci of functional and pathological activity.

Ergotherapy for children with delayed speech development involves carrying out correctional work in a comfortable environment. This means that in order to achieve positive results necessary good mood child and interest in combination with other treatment and rehabilitation measures.

Another treatment method is transcranial micropolarization of the brain for delayed speech development, the effectiveness of which has been confirmed by multiple studies. The technique is based on the effect of electric current on the brain, and its strength is much less than that used in electrophoresis.

Important: after a course of treatment for mental retardation, there is a decrease in impulsivity, restoration of attention, perseverance and memory. In addition, new words and phrases appear and motor functions are actively developing.

Despite many positive reviews from specialists about a procedure such as transcranial micropolarization for delayed speech development, it will not be possible to achieve an effect if the disorder is caused by a severe psychiatric illness.

Doctors say that it is the complex treatment of speech development delays in children that is considered the most effective. In addition, an important place in the fight against the disease is given to the child’s parents.

Using massage for treatment

An important part of the classes is logomassage, which is used to produce speech sounds and form the articulatory apparatus. Most often, this procedure is performed on older children. preschool age whose speech level lags behind the norm when entering school.

Typically, massage for delayed speech development is performed by specialists, and it is important that it is performed carefully, professionally and painlessly. After the course of treatment, the child’s muscle tone and facial muscles are normalized, and the functioning of the articulatory apparatus is restored.

Oral logomassage is carried out using special devices or toothbrushes. At home, logomassage for delayed speech development can be replaced by eating solid food, which also helps develop the articulatory apparatus.

In order for speech pathology treatment to be effective, parents need to take an active part in this process. At home, you can do some exercises and tasks with your child:

• Musical games. They help to concentrate the child's attention, teach him to be focused and notice changes in rhythm. You should invite your child to play various musical instruments or guess the voices of pets.
• Finger games. It has been proven that the development of hand motor skills is reflected in the functioning of the articulatory apparatus. You can invite your child to play with construction sets, beans, buttons, lacing, or put together puzzles.
• Outdoor games. Vocabulary is stimulated by games that require the skill of orientation in the surrounding space and the ability to change the speed of movements.
• Improving visual attention. Particularly effective in developing a child’s speech are games with various figures, special cards and colored objects.

At home, parents need to communicate with their child as often as possible and stimulate his desire to imitate them. When speaking, it is best to use simple sentences and be sure to voice all your actions.

It is recommended to limit watching TV shows or avoid it altogether, and read fairy tales and stories that are appropriate for the child’s age. To develop the respiratory system, you can teach your baby to play the pipe, harmonica, or inflate bubble. In addition, you can massage the child’s hands and fingers with special devices or use ordinary pine cones. In no case should you focus on the speech impediment and be ashamed of it, but be sure to encourage any of his achievements and successes.

Finally

Even the best efforts to combat speech delay may be ineffective if the baby grows up in an unfavorable environment. Parents should remember that the earlier they start correctional work, the higher the chances of a positive result.

Particularly effective is the treatment of speech delay in Israel, which is carried out in several clinics and uses an integrated approach.

One of the most exciting issues for parents is the development of speech in a child. It is believed that speech development serves as an indicator of the child’s mental development. This is not always true. And it has, rather, the opposite tendency: when speech is delayed, the child’s communication and learning skills slow down.

Most children experience a real “explosion” of speech development around their second birthday or a few months later. During the first two years of life, the child, as it were, contemplates the world and accumulates information. By the age of two, he is ready to participate more actively in the life around him. In addition, by this time, the brain cells and muscles of the speech apparatus are already sufficiently developed for the child to begin to express himself using words. But sometimes it happens that a child’s speech development is delayed. There may be several reasons for this.

1. Underdeveloped or weak mouth muscles muscle tone faces. If your child prefers soft foods to hard foods, often drops food from his mouth while eating, breathes through his mouth, speaks little and slurred, or has excessive salivation, this may mean that the child's mouth and lip muscles are not well developed. Very often this happens when the baby is weaned early. The muscles of the mouth can be strengthened with simple game exercises:

· Blow and whistle. Any exercise in which you need to bring your lips together with tension is very effective. You can blow soap bubbles, and also blow on a feather, trying to keep it in the air. Toys that require blowing - pipes, whistles, etc. - are very useful.

· Suck. Encourage your baby to drink juice through a straw often, sucking in his cheeks as much as possible. This is a very useful exercise.

· Imitate sounds. The baby will love to imitate the sounds of various animals and birds, as well as objects - trains, cars, bells and sirens.

2. Insufficient concentration of auditory attention. Such a child has difficulty understanding long phrases or does not hear background noise (background noise). Try to attract the child's attention to every sound and word. Read aloud to your child often, choosing books that your child knows well. Sometimes replace a familiar word in the text with another, funny, unexpected word for the child and attract the child’s attention to the joke. Show your child the things around him and name them. Explain to your child what exactly you are doing at the moment. Pronounce words clearly and repeat phrases several times.

3. Hearing problems. Poor hearing can significantly slow down a child's mental development. And if hearing loss is diagnosed late, critical time may be missed to stimulate the ear canals leading to the auditory centers of the brain. The child may experience delayed speech development, which will lead to slower communication and learning skills. Unfortunately, most hearing problems are discovered quite late. It can take quite some time from the onset of hearing loss to the time you notice obvious signs of hearing loss in your child. There are several signs, depending on the age of the child, by which you can understand whether everything is fine with his hearing:

Newborn: Should flinch when you clap your hands 1-2 meters away and calm down at the sound of your voice.
A 3-4 month old baby should respond to your smile and gestures.
A 7-month-old baby should babble and repeat simple sounds after you.
From 7 to 12 months: should turn his head when hearing familiar sounds and raise his voice in response to human speech addressed to him.

When should you start worrying?

Pediatricians identify the following signs of delayed speech development in a two-year-old child:
· The child has less than 20 words in his vocabulary and does not combine them with each other. The term “words” in this case does not mean full-fledged intelligible words, but rather the belonging of the same sound to the same object, for example, the sounds “Ba” should always mean “grandmother”.
· Pronounces words so slurred that you only understand half of them.
· Does not play or interact with other children.
· Does not understand or cannot answer simple questions.
· Cannot recognize or name simple objects from his environment.
· Cannot name any family members.

If you notice one or more of these signs in your two-year-old, you should contact your pediatrician. The first thing the doctor will do is test your child's hearing. Minor hearing impairments, such as those following an ear infection, can significantly impede speech development.

If your hearing is normal, your doctor may suggest a slight developmental delay. In this case, he will most likely suggest that you wait and monitor the baby for 6-12 months to see if it is necessary further treatment. But you should not sit idle during this period. Your task is to help your child develop speech skills. Even if your child is seeing a speech therapist, home exercises can do wonders.

Please also take into account that the speech development of a boy may be slightly delayed compared to the speech development of girls. It is believed that boys begin to talk later girls. True, boys with delayed speech development are twice as likely to be diagnosed with problems with hearing or speech recognition.