A set of breathing exercises for stuttering in children. A card file on corrective pedagogy on the topic

How breathing exercises help

Breathing exercises for stuttering in children relax and tone the muscles involved in articulation. As a result:

• the child begins to breathe correctly, observing the pace of inhalation and exhalation;
• fear of articulation disappears;
• muscle spasm, which makes it difficult to keep up the pace of speech, goes away;
• the brain receives more oxygen, which improves its functioning;
• the muscles of the diaphragm, abdominal cavity, and nasopharynx are strengthened.

The following techniques are used in speech therapy:

1. Traditional - aimed at training the abs, diaphragm, breathing control when talking, general strengthening of the body;
2. breathing exercises according to A. N. Strelnikova - aimed at restoring breathing during stuttering, and also helps eliminate other speech disorders (dyslalia, alalia, general speech underdevelopment).

VOICE PRODUCTION USING A.N. STRELNIKOVA’S METHOD

Singing is one of the ways of human communication and self-expression, accessible to almost everyone. Therefore, this action is natural and simple. Someone who is a natural singer wants to sing, just like someone who is a natural runner wants to run. The singer’s body establishes connections necessary specifically for singing - easier than any others, and requires their use, because in living nature, what is not used dies. Singing satisfies not only the aesthetic and emotional, but also the physical need of a person, which the singer needs to know and remember. This is the work of a complex of muscles associated with the breathing process, and unconsciously organized by a creative emotional mood. Complex work is impossible without a coordinating center, and since it is organized by emotion, a professional must be able to create it and maintain it while singing. In people who sing with voices that we call “naturally set,” sound connections are established unconsciously, but at the same time correctly and easily, breathing is organized correctly. In such cases, the only thing the teacher must do is to help the singer realize what is happening in his beautiful instrument while singing, so that he can preserve his voice and restore natural connections if accidents disrupt them. But, singing schools in most cases propose to perceive singing not as a way of expressing thoughts and feelings, but as a means for mentally directing the sound on each note. By worrying about the note, the singer loses his natural sense of the cantilena and a meaningful phrase and thinks not about who, why and why he is singing, but about whether the given note hit where he intended it. Passion for singing causes an unconscious desire for synthesis, that is, for the unification of the muscles involved in it, for the organization of a coordinating center. Analyzing your feelings while singing weakens and disrupts the connections of sound science. Sometimes the singer’s attention is focused on one muscle group: “Mask on!” In the mask!”, “On the teeth!”, “Into the dome!”. This is what disrupts the natural connections of sound science, and with them the feeling of a joyfully singing body that a person naturally has, just as a nightingale or a lark has it, is lost. The need for deep internal connections is in most cases realized by singers. They are created and preserved by the singing emotional mood, as long as it is not interfered with or not interfered with too actively. With rude interference, the connection is broken in some link, and the voice stops sounding. The loss of the voice is a violation of the connections of sound science, and its return is the restoration of these connections. What needs to be done to maintain and develop connections in sound science? The voice plays a melody. And melody is movement. Only that which is itself movable can produce movement. The ball flew, a hand threw it, the branch swayed, it was pushed by the wind. The respiratory organs, their muscles and the muscles associated with them are mobile. This is what can speak, shout and sing in a person! A singer's instrument is part of his body. And, moreover, one of the most important and least controllable is his respiratory organs. We do not see the movements that occur inside them, and these movements depend on the emotional state. Therefore, learning to sing means learning to control breathing and the singing emotional state. But, not only breathing is subordinated to emotions, but emotions can also be subordinated to breathing! Actors and singers have a professional term for "prop." A “propped” voice is a ringing voice. What is a “supported” breath? Touching your partner's shoulder does not mean leaning on him. To lean is to transfer part of the weight of your body onto someone else’s shoulder, to feel that the muscles of the shoulder have begun to resist the pressure of your hand. Therefore, a “supported” inhalation is an inhalation of extreme depth. The air taken during such an inhalation cannot go further. He “leaned”, that is, he simply rested against the walls of the respiratory organs. The muscles surrounding them begin to resist the pressure of the air, and you feel it. The sensation is similar to what you experience when leaning on someone else's shoulder: elastic, physically pleasant muscle resistance. And if the breath is taken correctly, you will immediately want to sing! Inhalation is the movement of air into the body. To consciously take a breath means to mentally establish a connection with the bottom of the lungs. The direction of the larynx is diagonal in relation to the lungs, therefore, it is more convenient to sing if you have taken a conscious or unconscious breath, “supported” in the back. The lungs expand to their bases not in the chest, but in the back. Consequently, this inhalation is easy to hold, although its volume is large. The sound is an exhalation that vibrates the vocal cords. In order to maintain a feeling of “support” while playing, you need to learn to hold a correctly taken breath. And one more thing: you don’t need to think about the path along which you will take your breath. Think about the place where he instantly comes, because if you think about the road, tension arises there. Lead your inhalation with movement and emotional attitude. Use the tilt as you inhale. Hold your breath and sing without directing the sound anywhere. There is an opinion that “blocking” breathing is harmful, almost dangerous. Yes, holding an inhale that distorts the shape of the lungs, and even just doing it, is harmful! An inhalation that fills the lungs without distorting their shape can restore both voice and health! The best voice production in the world is not Russian, not French, not German or even Italian... The best voice production in the world is NATURAL! If you consciously take the right breath and hold it, your singing intuition will do the rest. Remember the drill song in the army, the choir song at the table and the labor song, for example our “Dubinushka”. In all cases, the song lifts the mood, frees us from habitual restraint and unites people in a way that mere words without melody cannot unite. Wanting to express thoughts and feelings, people first of all look for words and sing them to music. For a person who sings naturally, SINGING IS LONG SPEECH OF HIGH EMOTIONALITY! And in professional singing, in pop, romance, operetta and even opera music, vocalization is an exception, most often on the upper notes, where pronouncing words is difficult. And there is no natural boundary between conversation and recitative, and recitative is the introduction to an aria. Consequently, it makes no sense for a professional singer to imagine singing as a vocalise with words, and even with voice production. After all, then it is an abstruse and complex action. And the words in this case only get in the way of singing. What is it like to listen to a singer whose words prevent him from singing? If for you singing is drawn-out speech, then this action is emotional and simple, and the words help to sing and organize the cantilena. You just need to be able to pronounce these words, because, as you know, “what is well spoken is half sung.” Music has three dimensions - pitch, timbre and force . The singer must simply help the vocal cords close so that the pitch of each note is accurate, and free the timbre from extraneous sounds. As for strength, you can’t think about it; forcing it won’t create it. You need to think about sonority—a sonorous voice flies well into the audience. As for the range, it is obvious that the abdominal muscles and diaphragm should actively work on the upper notes, and the pectoral muscles on the lower notes.

“LOSS” OF VOICE AND ITS RESTORATION All singers, Alexandra Nikolaevna and myself, patients who complained of a short range, weakness of sound, rapid fatigue from singing and talking, dryness and pain in the throat, singing or fibromatous nodules, had small clavicular or thoracic overextended and strained breathing. This was the main cause of the disease. The sound is an exhalation that vibrates the vocal cords. If there is too much air in the narrow tops of the lungs, it is cramped. And it tends to escape during the sound in such a wide stream that it prevents the vocal cords from closing. It puts pressure on the larynx from below so that it tends to push the larynx with closed vocal cords upward. A singer, actor, or even just a person who needs to speak or sing cannot remain silent. He continues speaking or singing on vocal cords that are not closed or are difficult to close and, of course, finishes his work sick. Goes to the doctor. And then in a circle: bulletins, medicines, advice to take care of your voice. And fear comes to the aid of the disease. The person begins to think intensely about the larynx and vocal cords, and they tense in response to his thoughts. A nodule begins to grow from incorrect sound guidance. Bulletins are increasingly frequent and lasting longer, and, if silence and medications do not help, surgical removal of the nodule is required. But no matter how wonderful the surgeon is, the improvement in well-being and sound is short-lived, because breathing and sound management remain incorrect. The nodule may reoccur. Again, prompt removal and, in most cases, an offer to change profession. Therefore, it is necessary not to protect the voice, but to organize breathing and sound management differently . The first thing I recommend to both actors and singers is to remove excess air from the upper lobes of the lungs and force them to practice the inhalation that is most convenient for holding. This creates an air reserve at the bases of the lungs and prevents excess air from entering the larynx. Singing and speaking immediately becomes easier. Then I give special sound exercises using the same movements that the singers used to inhale. The diaphragm and abdominal press actively work during the sound, and the pain or nodule begins to disappear. And when you have trained them to work in support of sound, they will work out of habit. A habit requires reinforcement. Breathing exercises must be repeated. Therefore, breathing exercises by A.N. Strelnikova MUST be done before each concert or opera performance. And here's another thing. If while singing you have an unpleasant sensation in some part of your body, know that there is a mistake there. Find a movement that will remove this feeling. We are told that singing well is difficult and difficult, and singing poorly is easy and simple. But in life, everything is the other way around: a bad singer sings difficult and difficult, while a good singer sings easily and naturally. Now you know why!

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SINGERS AND DRAMATIC ACTORS Never think about breathing, either in singing or in speech. Think about the meaning of what you are saying or singing about. Spectators sitting in the front row of the stalls should not see how the singer uses his breath on stage. In order for the head register to sound good, so that the upper notes are ringing, it is necessary to create a so-called diaphragmatic “support” , i.e. very strong tension in the lower abdomen. Strelnikovsky breathing exercises will help develop the singing apparatus and create the so-called “column of sound”, which world-famous opera singers have from God.

RECOMMENDATIONS. Working with vocalists requires special, “filigree” skill, because the voice of each singer can ultimately become national pride. Mistakes are not allowed here. You should consider: 1. the type of voice of the singer (bass, baritone or tenor, coloratura soprano or contralto...); 2. his physical characteristics; 3. type of nervous system; 4. the condition of his spine (especially the cervicothoracic region); 5. general hormonal background of the body (it is well known that sex hormones affect the tone of the vocal folds)

REMEMBER! The voice should not only be clear and beautiful, but also durable!

Execution Rules

Gymnastics for stuttering in children must be performed according to certain rules in order to prevent the young patient’s condition from worsening.

Below is a list of requirements:

1. A preliminary consultation with a doctor is necessary, this is especially important for children who have concomitant pathologies. Before starting classes, you need to regulate the load, or identify contraindications, if any;
2. The child should study with pleasure, which is possible when he is in a good mood, he is well-fed and has strength. A tired, hungry child will be capricious, and such gymnastics will do nothing but harm;
3. Start with short sessions, no more than 10 minutes. Monitor your child’s reaction: if he becomes uncomfortable, it is better to postpone the lesson;
4. Gradually increase the duration, but classes should last no more than 30 minutes;
5. If it becomes difficult for your baby to breathe, his breathing rhythm has become disrupted, or he begins to panic, interrupt the activity;
6. If desired, use music - this will help maintain the rhythm of movements;
7. The inhalation is always sharp, noisy, through the nose, the exhalation is calm, effortless, through the mouth.

Provoking factors for stuttering

Inducing factors of a defect are considered to be those that cause a disorder only under a “favorable” combination of circumstances and in the presence of predisposing causes. If the necessary conditions are not available, then provocateurs are not dangerous for the child.

Provoking factors include:

• acute psychological trauma, provoking a severe shock - an experience of horror, fear. Fear plays a special role. Positive emotions, along with negative ones, can also provoke logoneurosis;
• chronic psychological stress. Usually, chronic psychotraumatization is caused by an unfavorable atmosphere in the family or a bad relationship with the school teacher, since children spend a significant part of their time at school;
• false stuttering - imitation of relatives with a similar defect;
• retraining left-handed children;
• learning multiple languages ​​at an early age. We are talking about foreign languages ​​imposed on a child at 2-3 years old. During this period, children have poor command of their native language. Learning a foreign language puts additional stress on the child’s psyche, causing nervous strain;
• the same overvoltage can also be caused by gadgets that modern 2- and 3-year-old children are overly interested in;
• errors in the formation of speech - a large information load on the child, imposing on him material that is not age appropriate (abstract concepts, complex figures of speech).

Depending on the influencing factor, laloneurosis can be neurotic and neurosis-like.

Neurotic laloneurosis arises in conditions of psychotrauma. The nervous system of such children is characterized by increased emotionality and vulnerability. Children sleep poorly, are anxious, and impressionable. Combining speech exercises with music exercises does not help correct the situation. The overload of the baby and the inadequate attitude of the parents aggravate the problem.

Neurosis-like stuttering occurs in early childhood, at 2–3 years, against the background of organic brain damage due to trauma, infections, or pathological childbirth. Speech in children becomes monotonous, the frequency of convulsive speech phenomena depends on physical and mental fatigue.

Who should not do breathing exercises?

Breathing exercises for stuttering in children require concentration and strict adherence to technique, so it cannot be performed until 3–4 years of age.

There are other contraindications:

• discomfort or pain in any localization when performing - headaches, chest pain, joint pain. It is better to consult a doctor to find out the cause of such symptoms;
• neurological diseases - hydrocephalus, increased intracranial pressure, brain space-occupying lesions, epilepsy;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system - congenital defects, mitral valve prolapse;
• previous injuries to the spine, head, chest, arms, legs;
• urolithiasis, hydronephrosis;
• any severe chronic disease with impairment of general condition.

This is not the entire list of contraindications. You should consult with your child's healthcare provider to determine the feasibility of completing the activities.

Acute diseases - colds, inflammatory, infectious - are a temporary contraindication to sessions. After normalization of the condition and good test results, performing gymnastics is possible. The period of abstinence is determined by a specialist.

Physiological features of stuttering

What is the basis of the physiology of stuttering? The disorder is characterized by the following manifestations:

• muscle spasms occur in organs involved in articulation, for example, in the larynx, lips, pectoral and diaphragmatic muscles;
• the face acquires an expression of strong tension and stiffness;
• the muscles of the mouth are convulsively tense and trembling;
• due to muscle tremors and spasms, individual letters or syllables cannot move into the next ones, words lengthen, and “get stuck” in the same place.

A person with a stutter begins to get nervous, worried, and upset. Therefore, such people are often characterized by increased emotionality and imbalance.

Breathing exercises by Strelnikova A.N.

Gymnastics according to Strelnikova has been successfully used since the end of the 20th century. The author developed a technique and used it to restore the voice of singers and speakers. Over time, a positive effect was discovered in the treatment of stuttering and other speech disorders.

The technique is based on dynamic breathing movements through the resistance of the diaphragm muscles. During inhalation, the chest contracts (through grasping with the arms or due to bending and turning of the torso), exhalation occurs calmly, without effort.

On the first day, complete the first 3 exercises, repeating them 8 times. Each subsequent day, add one more exercise to the main complex.

Exercise "Palms"

The task serves as a warm-up. The patient must take a sharp breath through his nose 4 times, then pause for 4 seconds and again a series of breaths. Hands in front of you, on the sides of the body, clench your palms into a fist for each breath. Shoulders relaxed. It is performed while standing, but if you feel dizzy or find it difficult to stand for other reasons, you can sit down or even lie down.

After inhaling, you need to exhale. Repeat 32 times.

Exercise "Hug your shoulders"

The back is straight, sitting or standing position. Hands need to be raised to shoulder level, bent at the elbow joints, palms down, one forearm on the other (as if the baby was sitting at a desk). Take a short and noisy breath and hug your shoulders with force, squeezing your chest. There should be a triangle in front of your face. As you exhale, loosen your grip and spread your arms.

Do 8 times. Then pause, and repeat. There should be 12 such repetitions.

Exercise "Epaulettes"

The child stands, arms extended in front of him, elbows bent, pressed to the stomach, palms clenched. Takes a sharp breath, at this time sharply pushes his fists and pulls his shoulders down, straightens his palms, which allows the air to pass deeper and in greater quantities than usual. Then you need to exhale.

Inhalation and exhalation alternate, thus performing 8 series. After this, a few seconds of respite and a new approach. In total you need to complete 4 approaches.

Exercise "Pump"

It is also performed standing, legs apart, arms along the body. As you inhale, the child should bend forward, rounding his back and imagining a pump. Hands reach knees, head is bowed forward. The entrance is over - you need to exhale and return to the starting position. A total of 8 approaches are required.

There are other exercises for stuttering: “Large Pendulum”, “Head Turns”, “Ears”, “Small Pendulum”, “Rolls”, “Steps”, “Cat”. You will master them later, when you have developed the correct algorithm for performing the previous exercises.

TREATMENT OF STUTTERING BY A.N. STRELNIKOVA’S METHOD

When treating stuttering, in addition to breathing exercises, you also need to perform special sound exercises that help the vocal folds close closely, bringing the entire speech apparatus into working condition. To date, the etiology of stuttering and the mechanisms of its development have not yet been sufficiently studied. It is believed that the most common provoking factor for stuttering is fear. However, all children get scared in childhood, but not all begin to stutter after this. As a rule, children who stutter have a hereditary (genetic) predisposition to it: one of the parents or even a distant relative stutters. Perhaps someone in the family speaks very quickly and slurs (tongue twister) or has sluggish and unclear speech. It is naive to believe (and, unfortunately, some speech therapists are sure of this) that a person who stutters is a flawed person. Any child, even one who began to speak, read and write early, and even a polyglot child, may, after experiencing nervous stress, begin to stutter. There are very gifted people - poets, composers, actors - who stuttered in childhood, and then completely or partially overcame their illness. However, logophobia (fear of speech) imposes on most children who stutter a certain complexion, which can subsequently turn into alienation, isolation and even embitterment. A child who feels inferior cannot realize himself as a person. Hence, in the future: an unloved job, a problematic family, a narrow circle of friends... Modern speech therapy science in relation to stuttering practically stands still. In speech therapy kindergartens they teach you to pronounce sounds correctly and clearly, but they do not teach you how to overcome laryngospasm! Treatment with hypnosis does not always bring tangible results, primarily because not all children and adolescents are amenable to hypnosis. In addition, it is unknown how hypnosis will subsequently affect a person’s physical and mental well-being. “You are absolutely healthy!” — the hypnotist suggests to a stuttering teenager. And he has shallow (clavicular) breathing and a sore nasopharynx... “Your voice sounds smooth and melodic!” And the child has a passive diaphragm and weak, completely non-closing vocal cords... “Your body is plastic and obedient!” And a teenager has enuresis, delayed physical and sexual development, or grade 3 scoliosis... How can you make a person speak loudly and beautifully if his muscles involved in sound production do not work well? If his body is inflexible and unable to move rhythmically, and his neck and shoulders are very tense?! And I consider treating stuttering with psychotropic drugs to be a completely barbaric method. In his opinion, this negatively affects not only the psyche (causes lethargy, lethargy, drowsiness) and the stomach (fraught with gastritis and ulcers), but also causes various sexual disorders in young men. When treating stuttering in young men and adolescents, speech therapists generally do not pay attention to the sexual sphere. But we must not forget that 3 systems are involved in sound production: respiratory, nervous and reproductive; the last two are closely interrelated. Male sex hormones (androgens) have a particularly strong effect on vocal function during the mutation period in boys (13-15 years old). Take, for example, a children's choir. At the age of 10-12, both boys and girls sing. And at 14-15 years old you won’t see a single boy, only girls sing! And if at this age a boy still sings, it means that he has a late voice mutation, which is a consequence of disorders in the reproductive and endocrine systems (possibly ectopic testicles, cryptorchidism, micropenis, etc.). There are other deviations in the sexual development of young men that affect the function of voice formation: phimosis, varicose veins of the spermatic cord, inguinal hernia. Any deviations should be reported to your doctor. In girls, the voice mutation is smoother, but if there are any disorders (for example, algomenorrhea - painful menstruation), then the teenage girl should definitely be shown to a gynecologist. Because functional algomenorrhea is observed in diseases of the central nervous system, and organic algomenorrhea is observed in cases of malformations of the genital organs. Both directly affect the function of voice formation - the voice often “shrinks”, becomes dull, and singing nodules often form on the vocal cords. And if during “menstruation” Strelnikovsky breathing exercises are simply necessary for girls, then there can be no talk of any sound exercises during menstruation. All speech therapy science teaches people who stutter to speak while exhaling, to speak slowly, without worrying. But, when a child is not worried, he does not stutter. He stutters when he's nervous! Mikhail Nikolaevich teaches his patients to speak, overcoming laryngospasm of any severity - precisely at the moment of excitement. In his classes, he even artificially creates such situations for them! So, what should parents do if they notice that their child’s speech has become hesitant? The most important thing is to teach him to breathe correctly! This is, without a doubt, first of all. It is USELESS to treat stuttering without normalizing breathing! • a person who stutters should be taught to breathe extremely deeply, so that the lungs are filled with air to the lowest, widest bases; • you need to properly train the diaphragm, force it to actively participate in voice formation - create a so-called “support”; • with the help of special sound exercises, it is necessary to close the vocal cords closely during phonation, to make them as mobile and resilient as possible. All SOUND exercises in A.N. Strelnikova’s system are done on the so-called “diaphragmatic support”. With its help, you can overcome laryngospasm of any severity. When treating stuttering, it is NECESSARY to take into account the individual characteristics of a particular patient in each individual case: his age, lifestyle, type of nervous system, type and degree of stuttering, etc.

Why are breathing movements necessary?

As a result of performing the exercises, breathing during stuttering becomes abdominal or diaphragmatic. Before this, it is thoracic superficial and has a convulsive nature due to insufficient development of the abdominal muscles. This is especially pronounced in those patients who do not accept sports in any form and whose disease was diagnosed a long time ago.

With this type of breathing, the excitability of the respiratory and speech centers of the brain increases, which negatively affects the rate of speech: the child speaks quickly and begins to stammer.

Training the abdominal muscles, the muscles of the diaphragm and the formation of a stereotype of deep abdominal breathing can eliminate these disorders. The vital capacity of the lungs also increases, which is why the baby begins to use breathing more effectively when speaking: the voice does not interrupt, it becomes even and expressive.

In addition, gymnastics is movement. And with movements, brain activity increases, interneuron connections between the left and right hemispheres are restored. The child’s cognitive processes improve and he begins to assimilate new information more easily. This is especially noticeable if you supplement the tasks with regular physical exercises.

The principle of working on breathing when stuttering

14

Content

Introduction……………………………………………………………………..………….3

1. Causes and mechanisms of stuttering…………………………………………………………4

2. Features of the formation of speech breathing during stuttering………………7

3. Breathing gymnastics A.N. Strelnikova………………………….….11

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….14

List of references……………………………………………………….…..15

Introduction

Stuttering is one of the most complex speech disorders associated with a convulsive state of the articulatory apparatus. Most often, stuttering appears in preschool age, but it can appear later. By school age, a stutterer develops a fear of his own speech, a number of tricks and accompanying movements appear, which not only do not help, but also aggravate numerous hesitations, stops, repetitions of sounds, syllables and words.

The most important condition for correct speech is a smooth, long exhalation, clear and relaxed articulation. Speech breathing is different from ordinary vital breathing. Speech breathing is a controlled process, while physiological breathing does not require the participation of the will and occurs automatically.

In this work, we will try to consider not only the theoretical causes and mechanisms of stuttering, but also describe the formation of speech breathing during stuttering, and analyze the features of breathing exercises by A.N. Strelnikova, revealing not only the theory of this system, but also demonstrating several practical examples.

1. Causes and mechanisms of stuttering

Stuttering most often occurs between the ages of 2 and 5 years, when the nervous system, auditory motor and speech systems of the brain are not yet strong, so their function is easily disrupted by unfavorable conditions (excessive or too complex stimuli), and then at the age of 7 (entry to school). ).

Favorable conditions for the occurrence of stuttering are the painful state of the child’s nervous system, caused by a number of circumstances: unfavorable conditions of pregnancy, difficult childbirth, childhood illnesses, especially whooping cough, which causes convulsions in the speech organs, difficult living conditions in the family, etc. As a result, children often turn out to be capricious, restless, irritable, with troubled sleep, and poor appetite.

These are remote, predisposing causes of stuttering that do not always necessarily cause stuttering. But with such a painful state of the nervous system, for the appearance of stuttering, sometimes the action of even not very strong, but unusual, unexpected or prolonged stimuli, which are excessive for a weak nervous system, is sufficient. The closest producing causes of stuttering:

Fright, a sudden change in the situation, fear, even in a dream, fear of darkness, loneliness, expected punishment or the arrival of a scary uncle, with which nannies intimidate a child who cannot sleep, etc.

Children may also stutter due to slow speech development or poor pronunciation of certain sounds. In this case, some kind of deficiency in the speech motor systems of the brain causes stuttering. Stuttering in children, especially nervous ones, at an older age can occur due to painful self-hypnosis (pathological fixation), often “with the help” of others and as a result of failures in speech (distortion of sound, difficulty expressing one’s thoughts in words, etc.). Random stops and hesitations make such children confident that this will happen again in the future. For some preschoolers, this happens from extremely fast speech: the child is in a hurry, imitating the fast speech of those around him and trying, due to his increased excitability, to quickly express his thought, stumbles over some sounds - and begins to stutter. This is where the overstrain of nervous processes occurs when quickly following dynamic stereotypes (sounds, syllables, words) and fixing failures.

There may be cases of stuttering occurring during the paradoxical phase of speech reflexes, when self-hypnosis easily arises. This condition is observed with fatigue (exhaustion) of the nervous system, with fear, embarrassment, confusion, cowardice, timidity, etc. In this state, any hesitation in speech can easily and firmly take hold and turn into stuttering.

Physical injuries (head injuries, falls from a height) often also cause impairment of brain function, even in children with strong nerves. And here the effect of nervous trauma is obvious. Often stuttering is caused by infectious diseases: whooping cough, which impairs breathing and causes fear of a seizure; worms that deplete the child, irritate the nervous system and poison the brain with toxins (poisons), etc. There are cases of stuttering by imitation: nervous, mentally unstable children, listening to the speech of people who stutter or imitating them, involuntarily, due to the imitation reflex, begin to stutter themselves. It happens that left-handers, when they are forcibly retrained to use their right hand, begin to stutter: the coordination and connection of speech movements already established in the brain with the movements of the hand and the whole body are disrupted.

In most cases, stuttering can be considered as a speech neurosis, that is, a disorder, disruption of normal activity as a result of excessive irritants of the nervous system. Such overstrain of nervous activity also includes “errors” of two opposing basic processes of the brain - excitation and inhibition. Stuttering sometimes appears as a result of the simultaneous action of stimuli of an opposite nature.

These breakdowns are characteristic of an unbalanced type of nervous system, predominantly weak, and depend not only on its type, but also on many other reasons: the general environment (situation), the nature of the child’s speech and environment, past experience, state of health, mood, age, etc. .P.

Nervous breakdowns under certain conditions cause painful obsessive states: in the cerebral cortex, according to Pavlov, a “sick spot” (persistent pathological connections) is formed. During normal activity of the rest of the brain, stagnation and inertia of the irritative process occurs at this point - as a result, either persistent irritation or inhibition occurs in response to the stimulus coming here. A child who has previously stuttered experiences fear of stuttering again. I.P. Pavlov defines fear as “various degrees of passive defensive reflex.” It arises on the basis of overly sensitive, exaggerated inhibition in the cells of the cortex that were already pathologically weakened by strong irritants.

Often, stuttering under these conditions of brain activity is caused by long-term unpleasant emotional states (anticipation of punishment, jealousy of the child). Occurs according to A.D. Zarubashvili, “pathological anxiety” and painful overstrain of the dynamic capabilities of the second signaling system. The child is unable to properly analyze the complex and difficult situation of verbal communication created around him and begins to stutter.

You should refrain from teaching a foreign language to a person who stutters early - stuttering may worsen (especially with strict requirements from the teacher).

However, it is known that such stimuli do not always cause a child to stutter. Many children get scared, fall from a height, drown, etc., but after that they do not stutter. It all depends on the state of the child’s nervous system. If he is nervously healthy, then in the event of such influences he quickly returns to normal. With nervous weakness, the resulting shock leaves behind indelible traces in the form of a disorder of activity in the speech areas of the brain, which is expressed in stuttering.

There are three degrees of stuttering:

Mild - they stutter only in an excited state and when trying to speak quickly. In this case, delays are easily overcome.

Average - in a calm state and in a familiar environment, they speak easily and stutter little; In an emotional state, severe stuttering appears.

Severe - they stutter throughout the entire speech, constantly, with accompanying movements.

The following types of stuttering are distinguished:

Constant - stuttering, having arisen, manifests itself relatively constantly in various forms of speech, situations, etc.

Wavy - stuttering sometimes intensifies and sometimes weakens, but does not completely disappear.

Recurrent - having disappeared, stuttering appears again, i.e. a relapse occurs, the return of stuttering after quite long periods of free, hesitating speech.

So, stuttering is closely related to the state of the nervous system, to the child’s entire personality and his relationships with others. From this situation flow the means to combat it.

Stuttering is a violation of the tempo-rhythmic organization of speech, caused by the convulsive state of the muscles of the speech apparatus.

The following types of stuttering are distinguished: articulatory, wave-like, vocal, respiratory, fixed, initial, induced, inspiratory, clonic, neurosis-like, neurotic, organic, constant, respiratory, recurrent, mixed, tonic, functional, expiratory. The main external symptom of stuttering is convulsions during speech.

2. Features of the formation of speech breathing during stuttering

Impaired speech breathing is one of the constant signs of stuttering. In addition to the possibility of the appearance of convulsive activity in the muscles of the respiratory apparatus, impaired speech breathing is characterized by the following indicators: insufficient volume of inhaled air before the start of speech utterance, shortened speech exhalation, immaturity of coordination mechanisms between speech breathing and phonation.

Work on the formation of speech breathing includes three stages:

1. Expansion of the physiological capabilities of the breathing apparatus (establishment of diaphragmatic-costal breathing).

2. Formation of a long phonation exhalation.

3. Formation of speech exhalation.

The formation of speech exhalation is of fundamental importance for the organization of smooth speech.

Smoothness of speech is a holistic, continuous articulation of an intonationally and logically completed segment of an utterance in the process of one continuous exhalation.

Due to the fact that people who stutter have shallow and insufficiently regular breathing, and the muscles of the chest, especially the muscles of the shoulder girdle, are in a state of excessive tension, most practitioners use diaphragmatic-costal breathing, which is often called diaphragmatic, in the correction of stuttering.

With this type of breathing, the work of the abdominal muscles is of particular importance.

Expanding the physiological capabilities of the breathing apparatus

(
diaphragmatic-costal breathing)
begins in a lying position, optimally against the background of muscle relaxation. As a rule, during this period, people who stutter are already familiar with the elements of relaxation.

In preschool age, the formation of diaphragmatic breathing must be carried out at the initial stage in a lying position. In this position, the muscles of the whole body relax slightly, and diaphragmatic breathing is established automatically without additional instructions.

In the future, various game techniques are used to train diaphragmatic breathing, its strength and duration. In this case, the following guidelines must be taken into account.

1. Breathing exercises should be organized in such a way that the child does not focus on the process of inhalation and exhalation.

2. For preschool children, breathing exercises are organized in the form of a game so that the child can involuntarily take a deeper breath and exhale longer.

3. All exercises for training speech breathing are associated with the performance of two main movements: the arms move from the “to the sides” position “anteriorly” with the girth of the chest or from the “up” position they move downwards. The movements of the body are associated with a downward tilt.

4. Most exercises for preschool children include exhalation with the pronunciation of consonants (mainly fricatives) or phonation of vowel sounds, which allows the speech therapist to auditorily control the duration and continuity of exhalation, and subsequently forms biological feedback in the child.

Paradoxical gymnastics by A. N. Strelnikova is successfully used in establishing diaphragmatic breathing.

One of the common mistakes in working on the formation of speech breathing is excessive filling of the lungs with air during inhalation. Inhaling too much creates excessive tension in the respiratory muscles, causing hyperventilation.

Often, improper organization of work on the development of speech breathing is accompanied by fixation of the attention of stutterers on the act of inhalation and other complications. Therefore, when establishing speech breathing, all instructions should concern only the exhalation process. (The exception is the paradoxical breathing exercises of A. N. Strelnikova.)

Development of prolonged phonation exhalation.

The formation of phonation exhalation is the basis for the development of coordinating relationships between breathing, voice and articulation. To avoid fixating attention on the process of inhalation, the instructions should concern only the duration of the sound.

As a rule, training in phonation exhalation begins with long vowel sounds.

After patients have mastered the prolonged pronunciation of one vowel while exhaling, they are asked to pronounce a combination of two vowels together on one exhalation - a-o-.

The number of vowel sounds pronounced on one exhalation gradually increases in the following order: a-o-u-i

(standard of vowel sounds). This stage of work can be carried out during a period of silence or a protective speech regime.

The diaphragmatic inhalation and exhalation during these exercises can be controlled by a stutterer with the palm placed on the diaphragm area. In addition to auditory control, the duration of phonation exhalation can be controlled by smooth hand movements.

Formation of speech exhalation.

Syllables, words, phrases are introduced into the exercises.

The acquisition of skills associated with the development of speech exhalation proceeds at different rates in neurotic and neurosis-like forms of stuttering. Thus, in people who stutter with a neurotic form of speech pathology, coordination between the mechanism of breathing and phonation is quickly restored. Despite the apparent ease with which they master the entire set of proposed exercises, it is necessary to maintain a strict sequence of presentation of these tasks and the duration of training.

With neurosis-like stuttering, the coordinating relationship between the work of the vocal apparatus and breathing is difficult to form. When learning new skills, not only an explanation is required, but also multiple demonstrations and the use of various types of control (auditory, visual, kinesthetic). Training should be systematic, long-term and included in all types of classes conducted with people who stutter.

3. Breathing gymnastics A.N. Strelnikova

Breathing exercises by A. N. Strelnikova are often used to correct stuttering. The peculiarity of this technique is the combination of a short and sharp breath with movements. Active movements of all parts of the body cause a strong need for oxygen. Inhalation is done instantly and emotionally, exhalation is spontaneous.

When working with people who stutter, I often use the Pump and Shoulder Hug exercises. With their help, within two months you can achieve deep and smooth breathing, and the vocal cords become more flexible and mobile.

1. "Pump"

Performed from a vertical position, arms down. The inhalation is short, sharp and carried out in parallel with a downward tilt, while the back is round and the head is lowered.

After this, you should rise slightly and exhale air through your nose or mouth. Normally, the exercise is 8 breaths 12 times with pauses of 3-5 seconds.

But before making such a large number of inhalations and movements, daily training is necessary for 2-3 weeks, starting with the number of movements that does not cause tension in the lumbar region, dizziness

and feeling unwell. In severe condition, the exercise can be performed from a sitting position.

Contraindications to performing this exercise are head and spine injuries.

, displacement of intervertebral discs, the presence of vertebral hernias, increased arterial, intracranial and intraocular pressure,
stones in the kidneys
, liver and bladder, high degree of myopia, chronic radiculitis and osteochondrosis, pregnancy, feeling unwell before or during exercise.

2. “Hug your shoulders”

It is also performed from a vertical position, with the arms bent and raised at shoulder level with the hands facing each other. A short noisy inhalation is carried out at the moment of bringing your hands towards each other, hugging yourself by the shoulders, while the elbows converge on the chest. It is necessary that the arms are parallel to each other, and not crosswise. At the moment of exhalation through the mouth or nose, the arms diverge slightly, forming a square in front of you.

The number of inhalations-movements is 8 breaths 12 times with pauses between them; after 2-3 weeks of daily training, you can increase the number of inhalations-movements to 32 16 times and do them without stopping.

If you have heart failure or other serious illnesses, the exercise should not be performed. You can also train in a sitting position and even lying down.

Treatment of stuttering: a reminder for strengthening speech breathing

1. Before you speak, take a breath.
2. You can only speak while exhaling.
3. The inhalation is always short, and the exhalation is smooth and long. Exhalation must be “spared.”
4. You need to breathe “with your stomach”, while your chest is motionless, your shoulders are motionless and do not rise.
5. On one exhalation you need to say no more than three or four words.
6. Words in a sentence cannot be broken into syllables; they should be pronounced together. You should take a breath in meaningful pauses.
7. When speaking, you must ensure that there is no tension in the muscles of the vocal apparatus, neck, or face.

When correcting stuttering, you need to be patient. Speech improvement occurs slowly and has a spasmodic character. Sometimes correcting stuttering requires more effort and time than the patient expected, which leads to despair, he gives up training and withdraws even more into himself. However, experience shows that proper and regular exercise helps to cope with stuttering, no matter how severe it may be.

Conclusion

Stuttering is a violation of the tempo-rhythmic organization of speech, caused by the convulsive state of the muscles of the speech apparatus.

The modern integrated approach to overcoming stuttering is understood as a therapeutic and pedagogical impact on different aspects of the psychophysical state of a stutterer using different means and the efforts of different specialists.

Summing up the results of the studied material, we can state the following: having considered different points of view on the problem of stuttering, we can draw the main conclusion that the mechanisms of stuttering are heterogeneous. In some cases, stuttering is interpreted as a complex neurotic disorder, which is the result of an error in the nervous processes in the root of the brain, a violation of cortical-subcortical interaction, a disorder of the unified auto-regulated tempo of speech movements (voice, breathing, articulation). In other cases - as a complex neurotic disorder, which was the result of a fixed reflex of incorrect speech, which initially arose as a result of speech difficulties of various origins. It is also considered as a complex, predominantly functional speech disorder that appears as a result of general and speech dysontogenesis and disharmonious personality development. There is an approach that reflects the mechanism of stuttering and can be explained on the basis of organic changes in the central nervous system. There are other possible explanations. But in any case, it is necessary to take into account the physiological and psychological disorders that make up the unity.

Taking into account all the nuances of a complex phenomenon such as stuttering, it is worth carefully approaching the principles of working on breathing when stuttering.

List of used literature

1. Belyakova L.I., Dyakova E.A. Speech therapy: Stuttering. M., 2013.
2. Zeeman M.D. Children who stutter - M., 2014.
3. Karpukhina. G.R. “On a differentiated approach to people who stutter in the initial stage of development of the defect. Defectology No. 1", 2011
4. Levina R.E. The problem of stuttering in children - M., 2012
5. Morozova N.Yu. How to overcome stuttering, Moscow, Eksmo-press, 2012.
6. Povarova I. A. Stuttering: diagnosis and correction of tempo-rhythmic disorders of oral speech. Monograph. St. Petersburg: Rech, 2013.
7. Povarova I.A. Workshop for people who stutter. SPb.: Publishing house SOYUZ, 2014.

How to increase the effectiveness of gymnastics

The results of breathing exercises for stuttering will be better if you follow the following rules:

1. Comfortable conditions for classes are required. To do this, you need to first ventilate the room, avoiding cold or, conversely, too warm temperature in the room;
2. If a child is studying with a specialist, an emotional contact must be established between them, otherwise it will be stressful for the patient and he will refuse to study;
3. It is advisable that the first few lessons be conducted by a speech therapist and show how to perform the movements correctly. Improper technique can make stuttering worse;
4. Gymnastics does not cancel other types of correction - classes with a speech therapist, psychologist, drug treatment, physiotherapeutic procedures, massage, physical therapy, but only complements them. Follow your doctor's recommendations and do not skip medications or other treatments;
5. Classes should be held regularly, at least 2 times a day.
6. For lessons, choose morning or afternoon hours - at this time children are cheerful, full of strength and energy;
7. During a course of gymnastics for stuttering in children, you need to provide the child with adequate sleep and rest, and avoid physical and emotional stress;
8. Combine speech therapy with regular sports activities. Any form of activity at home is suitable: jumping, push-ups, squats, training on exercise machines (if you have them);
9. Get outdoors more often. Regular walks, outdoor games, running, cycling not only train the respiratory muscles, but also create a good mood, saturate the body with oxygen, and strengthen the body;
10. Develop correct eating behavior: the diet should contain a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits, food should be in moderation;

Remember that one of the important factors that influences the outcome of stuttering treatment is the kindness and acceptance of parents. Children subtly sense the atmosphere in the house and the attitude towards themselves. Do not scold or shame your child under any circumstances, especially in front of strangers.

Rejoice at his successes, praise him, show in any way that you are there for him and love him, regardless of whether he has a stutter or not. This is an additional incentive for him: he will try harder, make an effort, and the result will not keep you waiting.

Causes of stuttering

There is no consensus in the scientific community about the causes of stuttering. Various specialists in different eras adhered to their hypotheses on this issue. In the 16th century, a Spanish linguist put forward the following point of view: the defect occurs from the fact that an already matured baby sucks milk from the mother’s breast. To cure the disease, it is advisable to wean the child from the breast, forcing him to eat on his own.

In the 19th century, the scientist Lagusen suggested that logoclonia is caused by feelings of shame, anger, fear, and fear.

I.A. Sikorsky was the first to point out the occurrence of a defect in early childhood during the development of speech.

Modern science divides the causes of logoclonia into predisposing and provoking ones.

Predisposing factors form an impressive group. Among them:

1.
Age characteristics – 2–6 years, when speech is in the developmental stage, becoming vulnerable due to incomplete maturation. 2. Gender characteristics - boys are more likely to be affected by the disorder than girls. 3. damage to the central nervous system :

• pathological course of pregnancy - infections, fetal hypoxia;
• premature birth;
• birth injuries;
• asphyxia;
• prematurity;
• infectious diseases suffered in childhood - meningitis, encephalitis;
• measles, whooping cough, typhus, rickets, helminthic infestations, endocrine disorders;
• ENT diseases
• GM injuries – bruises, TBI.

4. Heredity . Inheritance from parents of features of the nervous system - hyperexcitability, acceleration of motor and speech activity. Inheritance can occur over several generations. Moreover, men who stutter have a lower risk of having offspring with this disorder than women who stutter. In men with the disorder, the likelihood of having sons with the defect is 20%, and daughters - 9%. For women: sons – 35%, daughters – 17%. 5. Features of speech development . At the time of the formation of phrasal speech, children are normally characterized by some deviations. Iterations may appear - repetition of syllables, sounds, emboli (sounds, words without meaning). This is normal because poor speech breathing limits the ability to speak ideally complete sentences. Problems begin when unfavorable environmental factors interfere with the development of speech activity.