Stuttering, as a speech disorder, is characterized by a disorder of the tempo-rhythmic characteristics of speech. It has a complex structure, which is based on problems of a psychological, biological and social nature.
Therefore, when organizing work to correct this deficiency in both children and adults, one should use a comprehensive methodology that includes various areas involving the interaction of a speech therapist, psychologist and neurologist.
Speech therapy work with people who stutter, in turn, conventionally includes several stages:
- Formation of speech breathing (exercises, breathing exercises).
- Work on articulatory muscles, strengthening the mandibular muscles (articulatory gymnastics).
- Formation of prosodic components of speech (work on intonation).
- Correction and development of psychomotor skills (logorhythmics, finger exercises).
- Impact on the nervous system through articulation massage.
Methodology for the formation of speech breathing
Before you begin to form speech breathing, you must use the practice of silence. This will make it easier to overcome the conditioned stuttering reflexes that have formed in the future. The silent mode will make you feel more comfortable psychologically, since a person who stutters will not experience discomfort when interacting with other people. This practice is recommended to be carried out on average for a week.
Exercises for the formation of speech breathing in children with stuttering are classified into:
- exercises with elements of logorhythmics;
- a complex aimed at forming correct inhalation/exhalation;
- breathing exercises.
In order for work on breathing with stuttering children or adults to be carried out holistically, it is recommended:
- Before class, ventilate the room well;
- exercise no earlier than half an hour after the last meal;
- do not overwork, do not prolong the lesson, you should work not for quantity, but for quality;
- ensure that all exercises are performed correctly.
Before you begin the complex for developing correct speech breathing, make sure that your posture is level, especially if the exercises are performed in a sitting or standing position.
When correcting pronunciation, simple tasks are first offered. Gradually they become more complex. For preschoolers, classes should be conducted in a playful way.
Exercise 1: helps you learn how to inhale and exhale correctly.
Performed while lying down. A light, stable object, such as a pillow, is placed on the stomach. As you inhale, the stomach rises, and as you exhale, the air comes out through the mouth with the sounds “pf.”
Exercise 2: Performs the same function as the previous one.
In a sitting position, inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, while the air flow as you exhale should not be intermittent. The chest should not lean forward during inhalation.
Exercise 3: aimed at forming correct exhalation and expanding lung volume. This is done as follows.
In a standing position, you need to extend your arm forward parallel to the floor and palm up. Imagine that there is something on your hand that can be blown away, such as a feather. Next, fold your lips into a tube and smoothly, not abruptly and silently, begin to slowly exhale air, as if trying to blow it away.
The development of A. N. Strelnikova can be taken as the basis for a daily complex of breathing exercises. The set of tasks that she offers can be included in speech therapy classes and used independently during individual work as breathing exercises for stuttering.
Types of breathing exercises
There is such a division of exercises:
- statistical - performed without movements;
- dynamic - produced with the addition of elements of movement.
There are several poses for performing them:
- lying on your back;
- sitting on a chair;
- standing;
- in move.
Initial exercises are best done lying down. This pose is the most comfortable. After this, gymnastics is performed in other positions. When the child begins to fully control breathing, training is stopped.
Articulation gymnastics for stuttering
Such gymnastics allows you to strengthen the mandibular muscles, tone them, improve facial expressions, and develop speech components such as accuracy, clarity and strength.
Exercise 1: Alternately take in air and puff out your cheeks, then slowly release it.
Exercise 2: “Brushing your teeth.”
This exercise is widely used in regular speech therapy practice, allowing you to improve tongue motor skills. It is performed as follows: the lips are closed, while the tongue “cleanses” from the inside first the upper teeth, then the lower ones. The second version of the exercise: the mouth is in a smile, the lips are slightly open, we move the tongue from the outside of the upper, then the lower row of teeth.
Exercise 3: “Ball on the field.”
The tongue rests alternately on one or the other cheek, while the mouth is closed. You can also add elements of logorhythmics: perform movements simultaneously with the movements of the tongue.
Exercise 4: “Fish”
Patting your lips apart can be alternated with biting.
You should not expect a quick effect from articulatory gymnastics. Also, do not forget that such work will bring significant benefits if it is carried out comprehensively.
General recommendations
Before classes, it is necessary to ventilate the room and clean it. It is forbidden to do gymnastics after eating. It is better to choose light clothing made from natural fabric. The tasks of the complex and the pace of their implementation must be dosed correctly.
The technique of logorhythmic exercises provides the following recommendations:
- Inhale through the nose (lips slightly closed), and exhale through the mouth. There should be no breaks between them.
- The child should not inhale at full strength, and there is no need to exhale all the air. They do it naturally, without much effort.
- While exhaling, say several words (3–4) together.
- In large sentences, make meaningful pauses.
- It is worth making sure that your breathing is even and calm.
- The muscles should be relaxed. It is prohibited to move your shoulders when performing the complex.
Work on the prosodic side of speech
People who stutter have underdeveloped prosody, which requires correction. The formation of expressive and intonationally correct speech when stuttering includes stages of work on the development of timbre, strength, melody, and voice intonation coloring. In addition to working on your own speech, it is recommended to observe the people around you and analyze how the sound of your voice may differ in emotional coloring, expressiveness, etc. You can use the following exercises for stuttering.
Task 1: “Say kindly.”
This exercise develops such a phonological component as timbre. It is necessary to affectionately repeat as many words as possible in the sentence, while intonationally noting the completeness of the speech. For example, the original “a cat is sitting on a tree” will sound like “a cat is sitting on a tree.”
Task 2: “Blizzard”.
It will help to form such a prosodic side as the strength of the voice. The exercise in its complex performs a number of other functions: articulation, breathing.
Sit in a comfortable position so that your arms and shoulders are relaxed. The lips are folded into a tube, we sound the blizzard. To do this, we say “Ooh” first loudly, then more quietly, gradually lowering our voice to a whisper.
Task 3: “Traffic light”.
This game can be played even on the street. An adult stands with the colors of the traffic light, showing one of the circles to the children. Movement occurs in accordance with color. On red - stop, on yellow - slowly and on green - the child runs fast. The game is accompanied verbally, in accordance with the movements, with the sounds of the motor “Zh-zh”. This game can also be used in classes to develop speech therapy rhythm.
Game exercises
Games for stuttering can be divided into two types: relaxing and rhythmic. The first ones relieve spasms of the facial muscles; they should be carried out in the evening, at night. The latter work as a simulator for practicing breathing rhythm and developing speech speed. Offer active games to your child in the first half of the day.
Football
An exciting game for normalizing the pronunciation of sounds when stuttering. You will need a large piece of cotton wool and several toys to organize a team. The child puts the cotton wool in front of him, takes air into his lungs with his nose and blows on it with his mouth, tries to score a goal with an improvised ball into the goal of his plush opponents. Place bears and hares 40-50 cm away from the child on the table. Be sure to say in which direction the fleece should roll so that the air stream is directed towards the target.
Don’t forget to praise your child for correctly completed tasks, and encourage the spirit of competition and excitement.
Chick
The child improvises birdsong using any vowels. It is important to inhale the air through your nose and hold out the sound for as long as possible. Offer to sing not only evenly, drawn-out, but also to make sonorous modulations: a-a-a-o-o-o-o-u-u-u, i-i-i-e-e-e-e-e and others.
Do the math
The child puts his hand on his tummy and takes a deep breath through his nose. Bends the fingers on his free hand, counts the fingers on one exhalation. Gradually make the tasks more difficult by increasing the final number. A child under 6 years of age can count up to 5 on one exhalation, and after 6 years - up to 10, bending the fingers on both hands.
Cat
This game helps the child control the fluency of speech. The kid stands up and crosses his arms over his chest. Bends to the sides, exhales, rises to the starting position and pronounces the vowels: a-a-a, u-u-u, i-i-i, e-e-e. It is important to stretch them for a long time, do not inhale them again, you can sing them.
Jug
The game is necessary for the formation of vocal delivery and speech breathing. The child raises his hands up, as if about to dive into the water, inhales very deeply through his nose. He lowers his arms like a swimmer, bends over completely and sings long sounds (vowels). For the next inhalation, you need to get back to the starting position.
Candle
The game creates smooth syllabic pronunciation. The child pronounces the syllable: Ma-a-a, Pa-a-a, Ru-u-u, Zi-i-i, at the choice of the teacher. He folds his hands, palms facing each other. Inhales air through his nose. At the moment of articulation, he makes zigzag movements with his hands, lowering them down, depicting a candle flame. At the same time, one of the syllables is sung smoothly.
Car
The child sits on a chair and the teacher sits behind him. They represent a car. First they turn the steering wheel and hum like a motor: w-w-w. The sound is pronounced without stopping, in one breath. Then the car stops, the child takes a deep breath and shrugs. This helps relieve muscle tension.
Pump
Can be included in the game by linking it with the previous exercise. Tell your child that the car has a flat tire and needs to be pumped up to continue the journey. The child stands up and raises his arms to his chest. Inhales deeply, lowers the pump to the floor, at this time stretches out vowels as instructed by the teacher or parent.
Watch this set of exercises in video format:
Note: according to Dr. Komarovsky, there is no need to choose between medication and relaxation (massages, breathing exercises) treatment of stuttering in children; it is necessary to combine both methods of correction.
Logorhythmics for stuttering correction
People who stutter experience enormous difficulties, as a rule, not only with speech, but also with general motor skills: there are problems with the motor system. Like speech, movements are abrupt, uncoordinated, abrupt, and unrhythmic. It has been proven that speech development is directly related to the motor system.
Logorhythmic exercises serve as a relationship between them, since the development of one has a beneficial effect on the development of the second. Starting from simple to complex, the child is initially offered only alternating basic physical exercises, such as running, walking and listening to appropriate music. You can do it with your child even at home.
Example of a task: children run one after another on their tiptoes to the sound of a bell, when they hear that the musical instrument has changed, for example, to a tambourine, they begin to walk, etc.
Elements of speech therapy rhythms can be traced even in ordinary physical exercises, where it is necessary to “play out” words with appropriate movements: bending, turning the body, squatting, etc. Finger gymnastics can also be included in the work; they have the same principle, only the movements do not involve the whole body, but only the hands, which allows you to improve fine motor skills.
Logorhythmic exercises for stuttering in children have a beneficial effect on the correction and formation of speech.
Causes of stuttering
Logoneurosis is a violation of the tempo, rhythm and smoothness of the sound of the voice, which is caused by spasms of the labial or lingual muscles. A person begins to stutter suddenly, and the defect intensifies each time. Usually the disease manifests itself in childhood from 3 to 6 years, when speech is not fully formed.
Causes of stuttering:
- Psychological - associated with a person’s psychological state; sudden fear or a stressful situation can cause stuttering.
- Physiological - logoneurosis as a result of the disease. It can be hereditary or infectious: rickets, whooping cough, measles.
- Social - the result of abuse of a person in childhood.
- Frequent quarrels in the house, punishment and beating of children lead to stuttering. It can be formed due to the careless attitude of parents to the sound of the child’s speech, which is fraught with omissions of letters and syllables, rapid, incoherent speech.
The provoking causes of logoneurosis are the formation of speech defects due to overwork, after suffering from an illness, prolonged exposure to the TV screen or playing video games.
Articulation massage as a means of complex effects on the nervous system for stuttering
With problems with speech and delays in its development, weakness of the articulatory muscles is most often observed. Stuttering is no exception. For this disorder, it is recommended to increase general nervous excitability. This is done using articulation massage. This method helps to activate previously unused muscles, improve overall tone, and relieve tension.
A speech therapist uses elements of massage in his work, but you can also do this yourself at home. Various manipulations with the organs of the articulatory apparatus are used as techniques for this: biting, rubbing, pressing, stroking, vibration, etc.
Other methods for correcting pronunciation when stuttering
Also in speech therapy practice, an effective relaxation method is actively used. To stop stuttering and learn to relieve spastic muscle tension, your child should be able to relax. To do this, ask him to clench his hand into a fist, then relax it, spread his fingers to the sides, then place his hands calmly on his knees, etc. This kind of exercise actively helps with neurotic stuttering in adolescents.
It has long been noted that stuttering disappears while singing. Therefore, vocal classes are recommended for people suffering from this speech disorder. Vocal lessons will help both children and adults. The sooner this practice is started, the easier and faster it will be to cope with stuttering.
Exercises of the method of A. N. Strelnikova
The most popular type of breathing exercises, which is recommended for logoneurosis, was developed by the opera singer Strelnikova to combat attacks of suffocation. Over time, it was recognized by experts as an effective method against stuttering. It is simple, so it is suitable even for preschoolers.
Speech therapy classes should occur 2 times a day: morning and evening. Their duration is no more than half an hour. In Strelnikova’s complex, much attention is paid to inhalations. They must be fast. In the first days, perform 8 “inhalation-movements” in 12 approaches (with an interval of several seconds).
It is worth considering that mild dizziness may occur when performing tasks.
The complex is large. Below are frequently used exercises to combat logoneurosis.
"Palms"
Arms are bent at the elbows, raised to shoulder level. Palms are straightened, directed parallel to the floor. Take 4 sharp breaths, squeezing your palms. The exhalation should be long, through the mouth, with the palms unclenched at this time. Then they take a short break. If necessary, the interval between approaches is increased to 10 s.
"Epaulettes"
Performed while standing. Hands on the belt, hands clenched into fists. Inhale – the shoulders tense and lift. Exhale – shoulders lower, fists raised, forming shoulder straps.
"Pump"
Pose: standing, feet shoulder-width apart. As you inhale loudly, bend forward, stretching your arms toward the floor and rounding your back. Exhale slowly and calmly.
"Hug Shoulders"
Perform while standing, arms bent at the elbows, elbows pointing down. They take a noisy breath, hugging themselves by the shoulders, and pulling their head back. Exhalation should be free.
"Cat"
Get on all fours. Take a quick breath - round your back, tilt your head down. Exhale slowly – straighten up.
"Pendulum"
Pose: standing (or sitting), feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale loudly and quickly - lean forward and reach your hands towards the floor. A sharp exhalation - return to the starting position.
