2023-09-07 14:00:46
Language development disorders in pre-school children.
In last week’s issue of the “Your Health” supplement, we talked regarding the basics and methods that help families return their children to school in good health, excellence, and high productivity. This was directed at normal, healthy children who do not suffer from any disorders that may prevent them from integrating with their peers normally, and may reduce their level of understanding and achievement.
We must not overlook a group of children among these students who have developmental language disorders. Here, a group of questions arise regarding how to identify them, and what we can offer them to help them.
The educational environment represented by the school, and especially in its early stages, focuses on academic, linguistic and social skills with the aim of developing them in a way that helps the child to continue in the next stages of education, in a pattern characterized by effective and successful growth during these initial stages. Where children are taught the rules of play, interaction and social communication. Here, the great challenge facing children with a disorder in the development of language skills, which may require additional support.
Children and language learning
“Your Health” met with Dr. Wael Abdel-Khaliq Al-Dakrouri, head of the Communication Disorders Department at the Psychiatric Care Clinics Complex in Riyadh. He is an academic, researcher and consultant to a number of bodies, and an associate professor at the College of Medicine at Al-Faisal University in Riyadh. He is also the international ambassador of the American Speech and Hearing Association, specializing in speech and language therapy. . We consulted him on this subject as a specialist in speech and language pathology.
Dr. Wael began his speech by explaining a scientific fact that we must be aware of, which is that children learn language in the same way, but not always at the same time.
He explained that it is normal for some children to start communicating linguistically early, and to understand everything that is said to them, but others do not communicate linguistically effectively and sufficiently, and some of them may find it difficult to listen and pay attention. He also explained that some children may have problems with speech or language before they start school.
Children in the “pre-school” age between the ages of 3 and 5 years, some of whom have access to kindergarten early, and some of them have not yet, so this last group has problems following directions or understanding questions, when they start school. They may have difficulty learning new words or using sentences that are appropriate in terms of structure or semantic content. A child from this group may also have problems with both, which is known as developmental language disorders.
Indicators of language disorders
Are there signs of language disorders in preschool?
Dr. Wael Al-Dakrouri answers: Yes, there are indicators of language disorders in the pre-school stage, and these indicators appear at different language levels, which are represented by children facing problems in understanding, expression, and language use skills, and they are as follows:
• «Receptive language»: the problems of linguistic understanding in children in the face of difficulties at the level of:
– Pointing to objects and pictures when asked to them.
– Answering questions.
Follow the instructions.
Understand what people mean when they use gestures and gestures, such as shrugging or nodding.
Understand long sentences and phrases.
Understand what people mean when they use pronouns and adverbs of place and time.
• “Expressive language”: Some children may suffer from problems in expression or speaking, which is called “expressive language”, and is represented in facing problems at the level of:
Naming things.
– How to ask questions and use appropriate questioning tools.
– Vocabulary focus is largely on nouns, and vocabulary is weak at the level of verbs and adjectives.
Use gestures.
Assembling words into sentences, in light of the grammatical and morphological rules of the spoken language, according to the dialect spoken by the child.
Learn songs and chants.
Use correct pronouns and adverbs of time and place.
• Practical language: It is also likely that some children will suffer from problems in language use skills, which is called “practical language”, which is represented in facing problems at the level of:
Know how to start and maintain a conversation.
Knowing how to take turns when talking to others.
Changing the way you talk to different people and in different places. For example: talking differently to an adult than to a young child, speaking outside louder than talking indoors.
• Reading and writing: It is worth noting that while many children suffer from problems in understanding and speaking, this can coincide with problems at the level of basic reading and writing skills, such as:
Look at the pictures in the book and turn the pages.
Tell a story with a beginning, middle and end.
– Naming letters and numbers.
Learn the alphabet and numbers.
have a two Language
Is bilingualism possible? Dr. Wael Al-Dakrouri explained that there are many myths that must be dealt with regarding developmental language disorders, such as:
The common myth in many societies is that “learning a second language may cause language problems.” This myth has been refuted, and it has been scientifically proven to be incorrect. As children all over the world learn to speak languages other than their native language, and the child will face problems in both languages if he suffers from a developmental language disorder, so there is no harm in learning more than one language linguistically.
Some people may worry that “learning more than one language is bad for a child”, but this is something far from the truth. In fact, there are many advantages to knowing more than one language; Many linguists feel that knowing a second language is beneficial to the development of a child’s cognitive and cognitive development. Where studies have shown that children who speak two languages, the two languages are in conflict, as if each of them is trying to persuade the child to choose it when responding to a linguistic stimulus, which requires the ability to set aside one language and elevate the other; What entails activating voluntary attention and cognitive flexibility; A recent study found that these skills are better for children who speak two languages, which appears clearly at the beginning of academic studies. Where children who speak two languages show progress in the cognitive field, which is represented in a higher development of self-control skills, which directly affects their academic future and the development of their social skills. A child who has advanced skills in self-control is easier for him to focus his attention on points task, and less interaction with various distractions, which has a positive impact on academic development. As for social interaction, he will have more control over his behavior and interactions.
The use of more than one language with the child does not cause a delay in itself, while children who are exposed to more than one language may have a slightly slower start of speech than children who are exposed to one language, but remain within normal limits. Indeed, studies have shown that even children with language and speech developmental delays can benefit from learning more than one language system.
Treating preschool disorders
Regarding the treatment of language disorders in pre-school children, Dr. Wael Al-Dakrouri confirms that the role of the certified speech-language pathologist is important and pivotal, with regard to the development of language skills in children, at the level of understanding, expression and use. The intervention program provided by the speech-language pathologist also plays an important role in helping the child prepare for reading and writing.
Dr. Wael notes that good language skills help the child to learn, social interaction, make friends and feel confident and satisfied with himself.
Dr. Wael adds that it is worth noting that the speech-language pathologist must work with the family and involve it in the treatment program, which must include potential activities and goals, such as:
Increase the child’s understanding.
– Improving how the child uses language for effective expression and communication.
Train teachers and the family on how to interact with the child, and learn more regarding what can be done at home to help the child.
Help the child use other ways to communicate when needed.
Early teaching of reading and writing skills.
Community medicine consultant
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