Diagnosis of speech development of babies aged 3-4 years

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For all children at a certain age, it is mandatory to undergo a speech pathologist's examination. If there are problems with speech, then your visits will become frequent- the doctor will carry out the necessary therapy.

In any case, for kids from 4 years old, a mandatory diagnosis of speech development is carried out. This is not at all scary, so calm the baby before going to the doctor.

There are several generally accepted speech testing methods. The simplest form of the survey is a game. At the age of 3-4 years, it is easiest to correct defects, because speech is still being formed.

Do not ignore the speech pathologist, because normal speech is very important for the further development of the baby.. Then speech defects will be much more difficult to correct, and the child may develop serious complexes.

Visiting a speech therapist

The first appointment with a speech therapist is assigned to children at 4 years old. If parents notice severe defects: the child does not speak or speaks very badly - you can take him away earlier, at 3
year old. Parents need to understand that a visit to a speech therapist is mandatory in any case and is extremely important.

Even if it seems to you that the child’s speech is developing perfectly, the baby is sociable, talkative, pronounces everything correctly. Only a specialist can notice some defects.

At the age of 3-4 years, they are easy to eliminate with a little work with the child. But later they can turn into serious problems with speech: stuttering, swallowing syllables ... With such problems it is hard to study, work, find friends, and in general, a person feels depressed. And all that was needed in childhood was to make sure that everything was going well with the baby, without delays and problems.

Parents should also remember: in children under 3 years of age, speech development is just beginning. It's normal for them to mispronounce something, have problems with consonants, or
vowel sounds. These problems are “treated” at home, without the help of a specialist.

Until the age of 3, your child's speech adjustments should be minimal. Just repeat the wrong word for him correctly. You should not focus on the wrong option, and you certainly should not scold children for mistakes.

How is the diagnosis carried out

Diagnosis of speech by a speech therapist is always complex:

Hearing test

The problem of speech development may not lie in speech itself, but in hearing. For example, hearing loss, deafness in one or both ears. Then all other stages are not considered. Some hearing impairments not serious, but can significantly harm the baby's speech. Then you will need to visit an ENT doctor, possibly an operation. If it is impossible to correct the hearing defect, then the ENT will recommend you how to deal with the baby.

The state of the articulatory apparatus

Checking the condition of the nasopharynx, larynx, vocal cords, tongue. Here, too, there may be congenital problems or the consequences of an injury that interfere with the correct pronunciation of sounds. Often the problem lies in the structure of the nasopharynx. Then a massage is prescribed for the development of the ligaments, the development of the larynx.

Checking the pronunciation of individual sounds

The speech therapist asks the children to pronounce certain sounds. Here the emphasis is on hissing consonants and the sound [r]. For the correct development of speech, there should be no defects in the pronunciation of consonants. Simple hissing and growling exercises will help fix them. It is important to remember that more than 7-10 minutes the baby cannot concentrate on one exercise. A good specialist understands this and periodically changes tasks.

Examination of the level of mental development

Determining the level of mental development is extremely important, especially if a doctor has identified a serious defect or lag in speech development. At the age of 4 years, a diagnosis of "delayed speech development" can be made. If there are still violations of mental activity, then for such cases there is a scale for evaluating speech, but it is already carried out by a defectologist.

Features of speech diagnostics in preschoolers

At senior preschool age, a speech test is carried out before entering the first grade. The speech therapist should
determine whether everything is normal, whether the child will be able to successfully learn.

Children with a severe lag in speech development, unfortunately, are not accepted into ordinary schools. They are sent to the correction class. But even before school, it is quite possible to remove this diagnosis if parents will take care of the baby.

With a 4-year-old child, a speech therapist conducts classes in a playful way. For example, a child is offered pictures with images
animals, plants, people. Words are chosen so that complex sounds are at the very beginning of the word or at the end.

Another option is a complex consonant sound in the middle of a word. The kid will be asked to pronounce the names of the depicted objects.. So the speech therapist will be able to understand in what position a complex sound is given to the child with difficulty. Often such a simple diagnosis is sufficient.

Children 4 years old

If there are no problems with pronunciation, then the doctor will talk a little more with the child. This is how he defines
dictionary of used words. The speech therapist asks the child to name as many words as possible with one letter.

The normal vocabulary of 4-year-old children is between 1000 and 2000 words. Less than 1000 is considered insufficient.

The speech therapist conducts a few more tests for the baby, offering him:

• pick up synonyms;
• form a diminutive form of words(bear-bear cub, ball-ball);
• name as many names of something as possible (trees, animals, professions ...);
• retell a well-known little fairy tale or movie plot.

Thus, in just 15-20 minutes, the speech therapist gets a complete picture of the level of speech development, determines whether there are problems and defects, and gives appropriate recommendations. It is very important to pass this test on time.