How to do speech therapy massage for stuttering and dysarthria? What methods, techniques and tools exist for speech therapy massage? Tongue and body massage for the development of correct speech in children

All stroking except the toothbrush is carried out with the thumbs without strong pressure. They should be directed from the center of the tongue to its lateral surfaces. Let us repeat that you should not forget that it is required as much as possible change gauze wipes to collect saliva more often.

Expected result

If a speech therapist has prescribed your child a special speech therapy massage of the tongue, you should treat this with understanding, because there are obvious deviations and problems.

Completing the entire course will not only improve the pronunciation of sounds, but will also strengthen the articulatory muscles that are involved in every person’s conversation.

Conclusion

Before starting procedures with your child, we recommend taking specialized courses in speech therapy massage. It won’t take much time, but you will be confident in your abilities and know for sure that you will not do any harm.

Speech therapy massage training is short-term and can be completed in a couple of classes. Contact your child's doctor for advice on this issue.

With small children you must always be very sensitive and vigilant. It is possible to learn on your own, but you cannot do without the recommendations of a pediatrician.

Parents are often skeptical about speech therapy tongue massage for children. It is quite difficult to believe that if you carry out the procedure correctly, you can achieve incredible results - the baby will be able to pronounce sounds correctly and make sentences.

Objectives of speech therapy massage

In case of disorders of the speech apparatus, a specialist usually prescribes articulatory and breathing exercises. If there are more serious pathologies, speech therapy massage is necessary. It is considered an unconventional therapeutic method, but very effective. Massage normalizes the functioning of the speech apparatus and increases the tone of the tongue.

Main tasks of the procedure:

1. Normalizing the breathing process when talking
2. Reducing the impact of stuttering and dysarthria on the child’s quality of life
3. Getting rid of moral and mental stress due to incorrect speech
4. Improvement in pronunciation of sounds
5. Formation of the correct trajectory of movements of the lips and tongue
6. Strengthening the swallowing reflex
7. Improving the condition of the voice and vocal cords
8. Strengthening the muscles that are responsible for producing sound and general improvement speech apparatus

The main task is to get rid of a speech defect in a child. An excessive amount of saliva in children is often observed - speech therapy massage helps eliminate this problem too.

Speech therapy massage – cons and pros

The procedure is necessary in the following cases:

• Voice defects or occasional loss of voice
• Uncontrolled salivation
• Dysarthria
• Speech defect
• Stuttering and poor pronunciation due to intense muscle tension
• Pathologies of the development of muscles of the articulatory apparatus

There are a number of contraindications:

• Stomatitis
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Conjunctivitis
• Herpes in the mouth
• Gingivitis
• Colds and acute respiratory diseases

Pathology is studied based on individual indicators. The final treatment option is selected exclusively by a specialist.

Usually massaged by a speech therapist. This is important, as there are complex rules for cleansing and preparing for the procedure. In specialized institutions, a special probe is used for cleansing. If the problem is not very serious, it is allowed to massage the child’s tongue to develop speech at home. Then a toothbrush or spatula will be used.

Speech therapy massage of the tongue requires a high level of attention span, so a parent or other adult who wants to perform this procedure on their own for a child has a great responsibility.

Rules for the procedure

After carrying out an accurate diagnosis on modern equipment The main problems associated with the speech apparatus are identified. Based on the analysis, the specialist determines the cause of the pathology, which makes therapy much simpler.

The structure of the neck muscles, articulatory and facial muscles and upper body region. This helps to identify even small features of speech development in a child.

Rules speech therapy massage for children at home

1. It is important to thoroughly ventilate the room before the procedure;
2. To begin with, it lasts from five to seven minutes, after which it increases to twenty minutes. It should be remembered that this is also affected by age category. Infants You should not massage your tongue for more than a couple of minutes. For preschoolers - a quarter of an hour, for elementary school students - twenty minutes. The personal characteristics of the baby also influence;
3. There are ten to twenty procedures in one course. No more than three sessions are done within a week so that the tongue receptors are not irritated;
4. If the procedure causes pain and discomfort in the baby, it is better to stop it. At first, children are afraid of these actions, but after five times of massage they change their minds.

Carrying out a massage

Devices for the procedure may vary. You can massage at home with a toothbrush or spoons.

If you use a brush, it must have soft bristles. Place gauze under your tongue. Replacement will need to be done every two minutes. This is important because babies produce excessive saliva during the procedure.

The child should be in the following position:

• Lying on your back. Place a small pillow or soft cushion under the neck area;
• Sitting in a chair with a headrest;
• Half-sitting in a stroller (small child);
• In the arms of the parents (when the procedure is carried out by a specialist, but the baby is afraid).

The movements are circular, the pressure is not too intense. Spiral movements can also occur, but after language exercises. Intermittent vibration of the brush on the tongue is also allowed.

How effective speech therapy massage is can be easily seen by the baby’s behavior. With his approval, positive emotions will be displayed on his face. Often the procedure is done in a playful way, which will not only allow you to spend time usefully, but also entertain the child.

It is important that the tongue is in a relaxed state. To do this, you need to make careful massage movements in the area of ​​the submandibular fossa.

Stroking without a brush is done with the thumbs, applying gentle pressure. Movements go in the direction from the middle to the side parts. You should never forget to replace the gauze.

If a specialist has prescribed a procedure, it is important to take this with the utmost seriousness - this indicates the presence of deviations from the norm and pathologies. The course not only helps in improving pronunciation, but also in strengthening the muscles that help anyone speak.

Examples of exercises

Massage can be done according to the following algorithm:

• Start acupressure movements, moving the brush along the left side of the tongue, the tip to the right area. outline Latin letter U;
• Do it one more time, then start circular movements;
• Make zigzag movements from the middle to the end of the tongue, alternately pointwise and in circles;
• Massage the edge of the left area, alternating points and circles. Do the exercise on the right;
• Draw the Latin letter V on the tongue in the direction from the frenulum to the tip;
• Draw two parallel strips on the left and right. Repeat the exercises, starting from the points.

Before starting speech therapy massage, it is important to consult a doctor. Special care must be taken with small children. Even newborns can carry out the procedure on their own, but be sure to get a pediatrician’s recommendations before doing so.

Speech therapy massage is part of a rehabilitation program to restore and normalize speech function. It is prescribed to both children and adults. This is a complex method that uses previously isolated forms of speech therapy correction: breathing, voice and gymnastics, as well as direct massaging of the muscles of the face, neck, parts of the speech apparatus - tongue, lips and cheeks from the inside.

The opinions of specialists regarding the advisability of prescribing children's speech therapy massage are divided. Some consider it nothing more than a fashionable phenomenon, others - in an efficient way solving speech problems.

Speech therapy massage stimulates the muscles involved in producing sounds, which improves blood supply and helps speed up the conduction of nerve impulses or relieve spasms. The patient becomes more aware of uncontrollable areas, and massage actions help to learn how to manage them, to establish neural connections between action and result, which quickly become automated.

Indications for use

Speech therapy massage for children is effective for the following: speech disorders:

• , which is characterized by a violation of the innervation, due to which the lips, tongue and soft palate do not move properly. The goal of speech therapy massage for dysarthria is to normalize muscle tone and develop articulatory movements;
• - violation of the sound flow direction algorithm, which causes “nasality” - speaking “through the nose”.

• Mechanical, namely, shortening of the sublingual frenulum. In some cases it is trimmed, in others it is stretched with the help of massage and gymnastics.
• Stuttering is a neurotic speech disorder.

An important nuance: it makes sense to prescribe speech therapy massage when the specialist understands that speech impairment is caused precisely by insufficient conductivity of impulses from certain parts of the speech apparatus. It is doubtful to resort to manipulation in cases of autism and mental retardation. This method aims to stimulate, rather than trigger, the missing speech function.

Efficiency and objectives

Speech therapy massage, in addition to the above-mentioned stimulation of nerve fiber conduction, helps improve muscle elasticity and contractility. Depending on the nature of the movements, different problems are solved. Often neurological pathology suggests the presence of spasm in some areas and hypotonicity in others. In such cases, a combined effect is necessary. To do this, the specialist feels with his hands various parts of the speech apparatus, the muscles of the collar zone and determines their condition.

Objectives of massage:

1. Normalization of tone - strengthening the muscles of the articulatory apparatus or relieving spasms.
2. Improving the contractile functions of those muscles that should be involved in the construction of sounds.
3. Stimulation of proprioception - sensations in a given area. With the help of speech therapy massage, the patient learns to listen to sensations in the lips, cheeks, tongue and distinguish between different conditions. This important stage before learning to control their work and manage them.
4. Reduced salivation - hypersalivation that occurs in diseases of the central nervous system.
5. Strengthening the pharyngeal reflex - the contractility of the muscles of the larynx and pharynx.

Stroking and tapping relaxes, pinching and kneading tones.

Species

There are several types of speech therapy massage. The classification is based on basic methods and techniques. In some cases, the speech therapist works exclusively with his fingers, in others he uses special tools. Each type has its own characteristics and indications.

Manual

The name itself suggests that the hands of a speech therapist-massage therapist act as an instrument. There are several subspecies in this category:

• Classic massage: when performing it, the speech therapist uses classical techniques - stroking, rubbing, pinching. A spatula can be used as additional tools, toothbrush, nipples. This method does not use the principle of reflex action, in which the effect is achieved by stimulating nerve bundles, but by kneading the muscles.
• Acupressure: the specialist’s task is to influence specific reflex zones - points. The massage is local in nature: they work with certain areas, for example, the cheeks, rather than massaging their entire surface. This type is also called massage on biologically active points, segmental reflex.

The techniques of classical speech therapy massage are described by E.A. Dyakova, who developed the sequence of its implementation, techniques and techniques.

Hardware

All movements are performed with special devices. This type is not so common due to the fact that there is no contact between the massage therapist and the patient: the specialist focuses on the sensations in the hands, namely, whether the muscles are tense or relaxed. And depending on this, it regulates the speed and intensity of movements.

Hardware speech therapy massage should be used with even more caution than classical massage. The reason is the force of impact: intense vibrations of an electric massager can have an unpredictable effect. However, hardware massage gives good results from a sensitive specialist who uses a combination of techniques.

Probe

Probe speech therapy massage was developed by talented speech therapist E.V. Novikova. The essence of massage according to Novikova: impact on the affected areas using 9 different types probe, the choice of which is determined by the affected area, the degree and sequence in working with it. Probes for speech therapy massage have different shapes, which means they have different effects:

• forked - has the shape of a fork with teeth raised up. The speech therapist carefully pricks the palate, cheeks, and lips with them, as a result of which their muscles begin to contract. After short tingling sensations, the probe begins to swing and then rotate;
• figure eight - the device looks like 2 loops. They press on the tongue and make rocking movements without moving. Rub up and down on the cheeks;
• sleds - small, medium, large: different sizes needed to regulate the grip area and pressure force;
• hatchet - they press into the muscles and perform sliding movements. With increased tone, the intensity of pressure is minimal, with hypotonicity, the pressure is stronger;
• cross - zones for stimulating the work of the tongue. It is used to press and push the muscle so that the patient learns to contract the tongue;
• pusher - for alternating relaxation and pressure.

The effectiveness and speed of obtaining results depends not only on the speech therapist-massage therapist, but also on the parents, how skillfully they learn the techniques of speech therapy massage in order to consolidate the effect obtained at home.

Children usually tolerate speech therapy massage with iron probes well. To eliminate the fear of the instrument, they let you touch it and turn it in your hands. With a deep degree of impairment, pain may be felt at first - this is how rigid, spasmodic muscles make themselves known.

Recommendations for conducting speech therapy massage at home

You can perform speech therapy massage at home. To do this, it is important for parents to know not only its technique, but also how to create the necessary conditions:

1. The child should be in such a position that the neck muscles do not strain - reclining or lying down.
2. If the muscles of the shoulders and collar area are tense, relax them: holding the child’s neck from behind with one hand, make gentle movements with the other rotational movement in a circle in both directions. Make smooth rocking movements from side to side like a pendulum.
3. It is important to relax the muscles of the neck, because its spasm causes tension at the root of the tongue. To do this, it is lightly stroked.
4. Next comes a relaxing speech therapy massage of the facial muscles and lips. Basic rules: massage with both hands, directing them from the center to the edges. The skin should not stretch, the hands simply glide. Stroking the facial muscles: - from the forehead to the temples;

   – from the eyebrows to the hair growth area on the head;

   – from the forehead and around the eyes;

   – from the bridge of the nose along the eyebrows to the hair growth area;

   – from the forehead to the cheeks, chin and neck;

   – from the earlobe to the wings of the nose;

   – pinch along the lower edge of the lower jaw.

   Relaxing lip massage. Stroking:

   – tap with your fingertips over the entire area.

   If there is asymmetry on the face, then spend more time on the spasmodic part.

5. The stimulation block involves toning the muscles and strengthening them. The nature of the movements is energetic. Make the first movements along the guide lines light, and then increase their strength. Speech therapy facial massage (stroking):
   - from the forehead to the temples; - from the eyebrows to the hair growth area on the head; - from the forehead and around the eyes;

   - from the bridge of the nose along the eyebrows to the hair growth area; - from the forehead to the cheeks, chin; - squeezing the chin;

   – spiral movements on the cheekbones and cheeks;

   – place one finger on inside cheeks through the mouth, and with the other outside make movements similar to rubbing;

   - pinch your cheeks.

   Lip toning (stroking):

   – alternately upper and lower lips from the corners to the middle;

   – the lower lip from below to the mucous membrane, the upper lip from the upper edge also down to the mucous membrane;

   – from the wings of the nose to the corners of the mouth;

   - pinch your lips, beat them lightly.

6. Speech therapy tongue massage:

– stroke the gums along the outer edge from the center and in depth;

– gently massage the palate along the midline;

– make vibrating movements in the submandibular fossa, at the angles of the lower jaw;

- hold the tongue by the tip with one hand, and with the other make circular movements along its surface left and right, from the middle to the tip, pinch and stretch slightly, stroke from the frenulum under it and to its tip.

When salivating, pause to allow the child to swallow saliva.

It is effective to use speech therapy massage for children at home in courses of 10-15 times.

Contraindications

• Inflammatory processes in the mouth, herpetic rashes on the lips, rashes on the face.
• High intracranial pressure. Enlarged lymph nodes.
• Infectious diseases, including colds.
• Episyndrome.
• Violent reaction of the child: crying, screaming, hysterics.