In years of experience in communication and language and learning difficulties we frequently see a poor base which hardly supports language or even makes its emergence impossible. The natural evolution towards language is based on this foundation. and is often not given the attention it deserves, being in many cases the direct door to the emergence of language and its development and functionalization.
We want to give a personal space to this work, this preparation so essential for our children's future language. In many cases of SLI and ASD, we see children with Poor prelinguistic skills that are hindering the correct development of language So in any situation your child finds himself in, this foundation will be the key. to learning, language, communication and socialization.
ACQUISITION OF BASIC LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
In many cases, before starting the actual intervention, it is necessary to ensure that the child has mastered a series of basic requirements. Although most children acquire these requirements quickly, the deficits of children with SLI may prevent this from happening, in which case the first step in treatment should consist of addressing:
- Motivation: Having an enthusiastic, happy, willing, and enjoying child is the first basis for any intervention. Going according to their tastes, preferences, and hobbies will bring the child closer to us and turn the therapeutic work into pure play and enjoyment.
- Basic communication skills: skills such as joint attention, adaptation to the turns of an interactive activity…If the child has deficits at this level, it is advisable to begin by reinforcing and responding to any communicative attempts, and gradually give more importance to appropriate verbal communication.
- Attention: Children with SLI are often found whose attention is almost non-existentIn these cases, it is necessary to carry out prior work to improve it. Initially, the objective would be to ensure that the child is in appropriate situation for learning, controlling their own reactions (in this sense, the speech therapist often has to physically control the child so that he can focus on the stimuli presented). The child must then be able to listen and follow minimal instructions, acting togetherFinally, the child must be taught that control when and how to leave the activity you are doing, depending on what others demand of you.
- Imitation: The goal would be to put the child in an autonomous position to learn. Not only verbal imitation, but also bodily imitation, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and motor skills in general will be the path to developing verbal imitation. It is necessary to control the child's ability to imitate. repeat verbal or nonverbal patterns as accurately as possible, as well as learning to repeat them spontaneously. The overall goal in this skill would be Help your child identify people, places, and things by name and learn to follow simple instructionsTo do this, a basic vocabulary is selected that the child understands and that is meaningful, then the child is taught to respond to instructions that incorporate the learned vocabulary. Gradually, more vocabulary is added. new words and increasingly complex commands.
- Respect their pace: Each of these skills cannot be forced, in typical children it seems that it is magic But be sure that it is part of work, observation, repetition and a lot of time conscious stimulationThis is an essential aspect because our children are often immersed in a world of stimulation that doesn't touch them, that doesn't reach them, that doesn't affect them. So, be patient and respect your children's time, priorities, and potential because it will be the only way to successfully develop language.
If we want a child prepared for language and life, we will have to cultivate these 5 skills to strengthen the foundations of any future learning, no matter how complex!
Cristina Oroz Bajo