Wednesday 19 September 2012

The Role Of Speech Therapy Games In Improving Communication Skills

By Casandra Newton


Speech therapy games are an effective tool employed by therapists to help children who are struggling with some aspect of language development. A therapist is able to assist children who find it difficult to articulate words and sounds, express themselves, or struggle to process and understand what is said to them. They may assist young patients who have difficulties using language socially, or who have deficit disorders that make it hard for them to concentrate.

Children encounter language development problems for a variety of reasons. They may suffer from a hearing impairment or a structural disability such as a cleft palate, which can make it difficult to form the correct sounds. Neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy or trauma to the brain can similarly affect language acquisition skills by limiting the movement of facial muscles.

Children on the autistic spectrum or with attention deficit disorders may find interaction and effective communication extremely difficult. Other children may struggle with language processing tasks such as decoding sounds, sequencing, reading and spelling. Language delays may occur as a result of premature birth or can simply be a response to external environmental factors, for example, extreme deprivation.

Sessions with a language therapist can help children to improve communication their skills. Early intervention results in the best outcomes, therefore it is important that developmental problems are spotted early on. Some problems can be effectively tackled with a short program of treatment. Some patients, however, may need support for a considerable length of time. If children enjoy the work and continue to make progress then therapy must be deemed beneficial.

Interaction based interventions that focus on play activities are thought to be very effective. These activities can engage the interests of the child and harness their enthusiasm to focus upon specific areas of language development. The focus may be speech production, phonemic decoding, morphology and semantics, or skills which foster good social interaction.

It is not without reason that such methods generate high levels of success. As children usually enjoy playing games their level of motivation is high. A session with the language therapist is often something they look forward to. Play provides an emotionally safe context in which children are willing to try new skills without fear of failure. Improved self esteem is often a welcome side effect of these language development programs.

Parents can also support their children by creating a language rich environment in the home. Talking with, and listening to children is very important. Younger children will enjoy learning action songs and nursery rhymes. Find time every day for telling stories and reading aloud together is beneficial for children of all ages. Planning trips to zoos, theaters and museums all provide stimulus for conversation and help children to make connections in their thinking.

Playing speech therapy games can help all children to improve their language skills. There are many excellent ideas to be found on line. Most of these suggestions can be adapted to suit the needs of the individual child or to target a specific learning goal.




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