Speech development is a complex and lengthy process in which failures are possible. Some of them arise due to a genetic predisposition or unsuccessful birth, while others are the result of psychological trauma or pathologies of the speech apparatus.
If problems arise, you do not need to panic, it is much more productive to seek help from a speech therapist. After the examination, the doctor will understand the nature of the deviations and take measures to correct them.
Why do you need gymnastics for the tongue?
Articulation exercises are useful for all children. The purpose of a kind of physical education is to improve the mobility of the speech apparatus, the development of the correct posture of the lips and tongue for a clear pronunciation of sounds. She will teach some children to speak correctly, others she will prepare for a meeting with a speech therapist and more complex exercises. Charging complexes include three types of exercises: for the tongue, lips and cheeks.
Proper pronunciation plays a big role in mental and emotional development. Communication with peers is extremely important and can be complicated due to problems in speech development. It is better to start training with a child at the age of 4 years. Of course, you can do the exercises later, but it will be more difficult to achieve the result.
If kids 2-3 years old with the help of gymnastics train and develop the speech apparatus, then older children correct existing defects. Physical education of the language contributes to the rapid detection and correction of problems with pronunciation.
Speech exercises take place in a playful way and kids like it. Simple exercises are easy to remember and perform at home. They don't require a large number free time and special efforts from parents.
Indications for performing exercises for children 3-4 years old
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Speech therapy exercises train the child's articulatory muscles and make them work actively and correctly. Articulatory physical education and massage for the tongue are shown to children if they have congenital or acquired speech defects that occur for the following reasons:
In all of these situations, speech gymnastics is combined with classes with a speech therapist. Constant monitoring and regular exercise and logo massage helps to achieve positive results in a short time. The listed deviations are basic, but it is useful for absolutely all children to train articulatory muscles.
Symptoms of hypertonicity of the articulatory muscles
Hypertonicity is called excessive muscle tension. Toddlers with this diagnosis are often irritable and stiff. They are unable to relax even when they fall asleep.
Outwardly, children with increased tone are given out by pursed lips, sometimes wrinkles can form because of this. The tongue is drawn back and tense. At the same time, his back bends and presses against the sky, so sometimes it seems that the child speaks through the nose. Muscle hyperonus does not allow you to fully turn your head, open your mouth wide or hold it in this position. The upper lip is stretched and pressed against the gums or simply lifted.
Such a pathology is an indication for the appointment of a relaxing massage. The session begins with soft sliding movements in the neck and shoulders. This helps to reduce tissue excitability and relieve hypertonicity of the root of the tongue.
The facial muscles are massaged with longitudinal and transverse strokes of the forehead, the area around the eyes, cheeks, the line from the earlobes to the nose. The lips are worked out separately, first with soft movements from the corners to the center, then in a circular motion with light pressure.
Signs of decreased tone
Sometimes muscle tone is not increased, but rather below normal. Muscular hypotonia occurs due to underdevelopment of the nervous system and is often found in premature babies. Patients with reduced tone are too calm, they sleep well and practically do not cause problems for their parents, only such babies develop more slowly than their peers.
Hypotonicity is characterized by the following symptoms: sagging cheeks and facial contours, the lower lip turns out and practically lies on the chin, the tongue becomes flaccid and falls out of the mouth. The child is simply not able to keep his mouth closed.
The purpose of the massage in this case is to activate the articulatory muscles. They begin to carry it out in the same way from the neck and shoulders with soft wrapping movements. The procedure should touch and stimulate the muscles associated with the muscles of the tongue.
- Stroking movements of the forehead, the area above the eyes, the chin are complemented by kneading the zygomatic and buccal muscles.
- Cheeks are massaged on both sides: from the inside and outside at the same time.
- The lips are stroked and pinched from the middle to the corners. Pressing movements should increase gradually, without causing discomfort and pain to the child.
Often there are patients with mixed tone, when the cheeks are relaxed, and the tongue tenses and presses against the palate, or vice versa - a flaccid tongue, when its tip cannot be distinguished, with a good tone of the lips and cheeks. Such children undergo a differentiated massage that combines both tactics.
What is needed to complete the complex?
Before prescribing speech therapy massage and articulatory gymnastics to a child, the doctor conducts a thorough diagnosis of a small patient. During the examination, the structure of the cervical and facial muscles, the upper body is checked. An experienced specialist is able to detect even minor deviations in speech function.
There is no need to massage the tongue in the clinic, the mother can do it to the child on her own at home. You will first need to thoroughly check the room in which the procedure is planned, wash and warm your hands.
The duration of the first sessions usually does not exceed 5 minutes and gradually, over 4 sessions, increases to 20. It must be remembered that the time of the procedure also depends on the age and emotional state of the child.
You can learn massage techniques at the reception of a speech therapist or by carefully studying the following video. Logomassage touches all the muscles of the speech apparatus, and Special attention given to language. It is not necessary to develop it with the help of specialized devices. To strengthen the tip of the tongue, improvised objects, such as a spoon or a soft-bristle toothbrush, are suitable (we recommend reading:).
To massage the tip of the tongue is not difficult. In addition to the brush, you will need gauze swabs that are placed under the tongue. This is necessary to collect excess saliva, during massage it is produced more strongly. When making longitudinal, circular or transverse movements along the tongue, you do not need to press hard on the brush. Actions should not cause pain or inconvenience. In most cases, children like this process, even those who were wary at first.
Tongue Charging Technique
Articulation exercises strengthen and develop the speech apparatus. Not all sounds are amenable to three-year-old babies, but with regular exercise, their speech becomes clear.
The effect of speech therapy exercises will be noticeable only if:
- classes are held daily;
- exercises are performed in front of a mirror so that the child has the opportunity to check the correctness of the actions;
- more attention is paid not to the number of exercises learned, but to the quality of their implementation;
- charging begins with simple complexes and gradually becomes more complicated;
- exercises are presented in a playful comic form, sometimes the child does not need to be told that he is doing the exercise at all, it is better to present everything in the form of a new game.
The baby must be prepared in advance for gymnastics by talking about the procedure, for clarity, you can use the pictures. After that, a demonstration of exercises takes place, the first attempts to perform them together with the child and adjustment.
At the initial stage, the difference in muscle tone of the articulatory apparatus is visible to the naked eye. Gradually, the differences are smoothed out, and the tone returns to normal.
Children may start to try too hard or get nervous. It is necessary to remove the emotional burden: stretch your shoulders, shake your hands with them. To improve perception, many sets of exercises are supplemented with funny poems. This also helps to relieve tension and better remember charging.
There are two types of exercises. The difference is that with static actions, the lips and tongue are fixed for a few seconds in a certain position, while dynamic ones make them move.
The purpose of the massage
Logomassage has proven itself in the restoration of speech functions, and in some diseases, such as cerebral palsy, such procedures are mandatory. In young patients with this diagnosis, muscle tone is impaired, which inevitably leads to speech defects. Massage helps to achieve:
It should be borne in mind that massage is strictly prohibited when:
- stomatitis;
- conjunctivitis and gingivitis;
- herpes lesions of the oral mucosa;
- enlarged lymph nodes.
For children with severe deviations in sound pronunciation, the addition of speech exercises with speech therapy massage is simply necessary. Massage improves the general condition of the body, stimulates blood circulation and improves metabolism. After completing the full course, lymphatic exchange is restored, the contractile function of the muscles returns to normal.
Expert opinions
Experts unanimously declare the benefits of speech development, even in the absence of obvious deviations, it is important to start working with a child as early as possible. Speech therapy massage improves blood circulation, increases muscle elasticity and is an excellent prevention of speech deviations.
In order for the baby to speak, it is necessary to stimulate him, talk more with him, and it is better to ask about something, forcing him to speak on his own. Speech develops better in children with a broad outlook and those who are used to sculpting, drawing, constructing, i.e. develop fine motor skills. You should not worry if at 1.5-2.5 years the child does not want to talk, it goes away in kindergarten, but it is necessary to consult a specialist with a three-year-old silent person to determine the cause of the problem.
Speech therapy massage for a child includes a whole range of exercises. For younger children, their mother should do them, older guys, they can do at least half of the exercises on their own. A similar procedure is indicated in cases where babies have slurred speech, do not pronounce some sounds, or do not speak at all.
How does speech therapy tongue massage for children work?
Articulation, which is directly responsible for speech, involves some muscles that may be susceptible to hypertonicity. Massage helps to reduce it. It also helps to reduce salivation and activate muscles with weak contractility. Muscle fibers with such an impact become more elastic and mobile. This is what helps the baby to cope with the above problems.
It is worth noting that muscle tone can be increased or decreased. In these cases, the execution technique is slightly different.
Tongue massage for a child with reduced tone
Decreased tone, as a rule, is characteristic of the basal region of the tongue. It is massaged with reflex movements. Jerky movements of different dynamism contribute to the fact that the muscles are strengthened, respectively, the tone gradually stabilizes.
Together with the massage of this organ with reduced muscle tone, the forehead, bridge of the nose and the area of the cheekbones and cheeks should also be affected.
How to give a child a tongue massage with hypertonicity
To start a relaxing speech therapy massage for a child with hypertonicity is from the shoulders and neck area. After their muscles are well kneaded and relaxed, you can proceed directly to the tongue:
Massage of the child's tongue with increased muscle tone should be carried out in combination with exposure to other components of the articulatory apparatus. Only in this case it will give a positive effect in a relatively short period of time.
Often, parents have a skeptical attitude towards speech therapy language massage for children. It is quite difficult to believe that if the procedure is carried out correctly, incredible results can be achieved - the baby will be able to pronounce sounds correctly and make sentences.
Tasks of speech therapy massage
In case of violations of the speech apparatus, the specialist usually prescribes articulation and breathing exercises. If there are more serious pathologies, speech therapy massage is necessary. It is considered an unconventional therapeutic method, but very effective. Massage normalizes the work of the speech apparatus and increases the tone of the tongue.
The main tasks of the procedure:
- Bringing the respiratory process back to normal when talking
- Reducing the impact of stuttering and dysarthria on the quality of life of the baby
- Getting rid of moral and mental tensions in case of incorrectly delivered speech
- Improvement in the pronunciation of sounds
- Formation of the correct trajectory of movements of the lips and tongue
- Strengthening the swallowing reflex
- Improving the condition of the voice and vocal cords
- Strengthening the muscles that are responsible for extracting sound and general improvement of the speech apparatus
The main task is to get rid of a speech defect in a child. Often there is an excessive amount of saliva in children - speech therapy massage helps to eliminate this problem too.
Speech therapy massage – cons and pros
The procedure is necessary in the following cases:
- Voice defects or intermittent loss of voice
- Uncontrolled salivation
- dysarthria
- Speech defect
- Stuttering and poor pronunciation due to intense muscle tension
- Pathologies of the development of the muscles of the articulatory apparatus
There are a number of contraindications:
- Stomatitis
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Conjunctivitis
- Herpes in the mouth
- Gingivitis
- Colds and acute respiratory infections
Pathology is studied based on individual indicators. The final treatment option is selected exclusively by a specialist.
Usually massaged by a speech therapist. This is important, as there are complex rules for cleansing and preparing for the procedure. In specialized institutions, a special probe is used for purification. If the problem is not very serious, it is allowed to massage the child's tongue for the development of recitoma. Then a toothbrush or spatula will be used.
Speech therapy massage of the tongue requires a high attention span, so a parent or other adult who wants to perform this procedure on their own child has a great responsibility.
Rules for the procedure
After conducting an accurate diagnosis on modern equipment, the main problems that are associated with the speech apparatus are identified. The specialist, based on the analyzes, determines the cause of the pathology, which makes therapy much easier.
The structure of the muscles of the neck, articulatory and facial muscles and the upper body region are subject to research. This helps to identify even small features of the development of speech in a child.
Rules speech therapy massage for children at home
- It is important to thoroughly ventilate the room before the procedure;
- At first, it lasts from five to seven minutes, after which it increases to twenty minutes. It should be remembered that the age category also affects this. Infants should not massage their tongue for more than a couple of minutes. Preschoolers - a quarter of an hour, elementary school students - twenty minutes. The personal characteristics of the baby also affect;
- In one course from ten to twenty procedures. In a weekly interval, no more than three sessions are done so that the receptors of the tongue are not irritated;
- If the procedure causes pain and discomfort in the baby, it is better to stop it. At first, children are frightened by these actions, but after five times of massage, they change their minds.
Massage
Devices for the procedure may be different. At home, you can massage with a toothbrush or spoons.
If you use a brush, then it must be with soft bristles. Put gauze under the tongue. Replacement will need to be done at intervals of two minutes. This is important because of the excessive salivation in babies during the procedure.
The child must be in the following position:
- Lying on your back. Place a small pillow or soft cushion under the neck area;
- Sitting in a chair with a headrest;
- Half-sitting in a stroller (small child);
- In the hands of the parents (when the procedure is carried out by a specialist, and the baby is afraid).
The movements are circular, the pressure is not too intense. Spiral movements can also be, but after language exercises. Intermittent vibration with a brush on the tongue is also permissible.
It is easy to see how effective speech therapy massage is by the behavior of the baby. With his approval, positive emotions will be displayed on his face. Often the procedure is done in a playful way, which will not only make it useful to spend time, but also entertain the child.
It is important that the tongue is relaxed. To do this, you need to make gentle massage movements in the area of \u200b\u200bthe submandibular fossa.
Stroking without a brush is done with the thumbs, the pressure is weak. Movements go in the direction from the middle to the side parts. Never forget to replace the gauze.
If a specialist prescribed the procedure, it is important to take this with the utmost seriousness - this indicates the presence of deviations from the norm and pathologies. The course not only helps in improving pronunciation, but also in strengthening the muscles that help anyone speak.
Exercise examples
Massage can be done according to the following algorithm:
- Start point massage movements, brushing along the left side of the tongue, tip to the right area. Draw the Latin letter U;
- Do one more time, after start circular motions;
- Make zigzag movements from the middle to the end of the tongue in turn pointwise and in circles;
- Massage the edge of the left area, alternating dots and circles. Do the exercise on the right;
- Draw on the tongue the Latin letter V in the direction from the frenulum to the tip;
- Draw two parallel strips on the left and right. Repeat exercises, starting with points.
Before starting speech therapy massage, it is important to consult a doctor. Small children need to be especially careful. It is also possible for newborns to carry out the procedure on their own, but it is imperative to get recommendations from a pediatrician before that.
