Home Exercises for Children with Specific Language Impairment
Specific Language Impairment (SLI) or dysphasia is a reality for many children and is considered a serious and long-lasting disorder. It affects children from the beginning of their language development and can last into adolescence. Without proper intervention, it can leave sequelae when they become adults.
Normally, it affects the articulation of words. Therefore, it’s very important to do exercises at home. Keep reading to learn more about this problem.
Learn about these exercises for children with SLI
You’ll need to talk to a specialist to find out the severity of your child’s SLI so that you can find the most appropriate exercises. However, we’re going to explain some of the most important activities. These are related to the movements, breathing, and rhythm necessary to make progress with this problem. Don’t miss a single detail!
Breathing for specific language impairment
Working on breathing is essential for children with specific language impairment. These are simple, repetitive exercises that can be done by incorporating pleasant sounds. It involves inhaling and exhaling through the nose and mouth, as well as practicing air retention. Also, you can vary the speed.
Paper balls
This is a simple exercise that children enjoy and have fun with. It’s as easy as making paper balls and blowing them with straws to make them move or sucking on them to make them stick to the other end of the straw.
Bubbles
As with paper balls, children love to blow bubbles. It’ll also help them control their breathing and work on their mouth muscles.
Vowels in Specific Language Impairment
In this case, the exercise focuses on breathing. While the child inhales and exhales, they should pronounce the 5 vowel letters. Also, these exercises can be done in an exaggerated way as a game. What’s important is for the child to say them and to be able to maintain good control of the air and speed at the time of pronunciation.
Syllables
In this case, the child has to say syllables and use consonants repeatedly. For example, with the letter M, they’ll say: Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma/me, me, me, me, me… And so on with all the vowels and different consonants. In this way, intonation and rhythm are exercised.
Rhythm for specific language disorder
Rhythm is fundamental for children who have a specific language disorder. In this way, the articulation and pronunciation of words will be done more correctly. To do this, a drum can be used or simply tapping on a table in a rhythmic way. Ask the child to make the sounds according to the time and rhythm that you mark.
Silence
To perform this exercise, you’ll have to have a space that’s totally silent. Then, you must make a small sound so that the child, blindfolded, can detect it and point in the direction in which it sounds. Then, you’ll have to ask what noise it is that they heard. As a result, they’ll be able to learn to distinguish the intensity of the sound, what object produces it, and the rhythm and duration of it.
The tongue
Exercises with the tongue are very important, as it’s the organ that helps to articulate all sounds and words. These exercises consist of making tongue movements, according to the child’s difficulties.
Phrases
These exercises are based on making complete sentences. For example, poetry, tongue twisters, songs, or short stories can be recited. The child will repeat the corresponding syllables, words, or phrases over and over again until they do it correctly. It’s important to avoid being too repetitive or boring in order to avoid demotivation. Also, small objects can be used to mark the rhythm and intonation.
Play to improve
The exercises help children to overcome these difficulties according to the severity of the language problems they have. It’s important to know that some of these inconveniences can occur as a result of other conditions, such as autism or physical problems that interfere with the process of articulating words. By implementing these games, little by little, the child will surely improve.
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- Monge Díez, R. (2008) Lenguaje comprensivo y expresivo: ejercicios prácticos. Editorial: Lebón