During the period of speech development, many children are in a hurry and slur their words. If this phenomenon is permanent, then we can talk about the presence of tachylalia. This disorder is characterized by an acceleration of the child’s speech rate. “Swallowing” of endings, distortion and repetition of words, and changes in articulation may also be observed. Tachylalia can cause problems not only in speaking, but also in reading and writing.
Some parents do not pay attention to the fact that the child speaks quickly. However, it is worth understanding that tachylalia can be a symptom of a neurological pathology. For example, increased rate of speech often appears in children with anxiety disorders.
Distinctive features of tachylalia
If a child begins to speak very quickly, this is not always a cause for concern. In nervous disorders, tachylalia is also accompanied by:
- stammering, repeating and swallowing sounds or words;
- fussy and rapid physical activity;
- an excited state during sleep;
- memory impairment;
- irritability and aggressive behavior;
- difficulties with writing and reading;
- improper breathing while the child is saying something (the baby is in a hurry to say a sentence without having time to take in air);
- decreased attention and inability to concentrate.
The child may have problems adapting to society. Such children often interrupt, talk non-stop and do not listen to questions. If you notice such manifestations in your child, it is better to seek help from specialists. In this case, the participation of a neurologist, speech therapist and psychologist may be required. The sooner parents pay attention to the fact that their children speak quickly, the better the problem is corrected by specialists.
Preventive measures
Everything is extremely simple:
- Don't argue in front of your child.
- Do not put pressure, do not use psychological and physical violence.
- Try to talk more. Discuss interesting topics.
- Encourage imagination.
- Praise your son or daughter, motivate him to develop.
- If your relationships with peers are not going well, talk to a psychologist. If the recommendations do not work, try to create a social circle. Children of friends, sports and creative clubs. These are all great opportunities.
- When symptoms of a mental disorder appear, take your child to a psychiatrist immediately. You can choose a private doctor if you are afraid of a stigmatizing diagnosis. This will be the best solution.
Why did the child begin to speak quickly and unintelligibly?
The reasons why children speak quickly and slurred have not yet been precisely established. Experts have identified several provoking factors leading to tachylalia. It could be:
- heredity. According to recent studies, most children suffering from rapid speech rate have relatives with the same problem;
- neurological problems. They can be caused by infections, injuries and diseases of the nervous system.
If a child speaks quickly and indistinctly, then do not panic. Contacting specialists will help identify the cause of the violation and correct it.
Diagnostics
Clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and psychotherapists examine patients with the problem under consideration. In tandem.
The initial examination is carried out by psychologists or staff psychiatrists at the local PND. What exactly is included in the list of studies:
- Oral interview with the patient's parents. We need to learn more about human behavior from the point of view of loved ones. This will help you understand the situation.
- Conversation with the patient himself. This is necessary to find out the nature and degree of deviation, if any.
- In doubtful cases, special didactic material is used. It is necessary to examine the speed and quality of thinking. Within the framework of psychopathologies of the psychotic level (schizophrenia), gross processes of splitting of personality and consciousness are observed.
- It would be a good idea to conduct a series of simple tests adapted for children.
If psychopathology is not found, it makes sense to talk to a specialist about methods of dealing with the problem.
In severe clinical cases, when productive symptoms are present, hospitalization is indicated. In young years, especially in childhood, simple forms of schizophrenia prevail. This is the most dangerous type in terms of personality disintegration. Has no productive symptoms.
It is quite possible that the cause of the pathological process is organic damage to brain tissue. To cope with this condition, you need to find the source. An MRI of the brain and/or a CT scan is prescribed. An X-ray of the skull is also suitable. Tumors of different localizations are especially common. From low-grade astrocytomas in the medulla to pituitary adenomas in the deep layers. Germinomas are also found. Tumors that are formed from embryonic cells.
Diagnostics should answer the main question: why does the child talk out loud to himself. Then you can prescribe treatment and draw conclusions.
Work to correct tachylalia
When correcting tachylalia, an integrated approach is required. You may need to take medications, work with a psychologist, teacher and speech therapist. If a child speaks quickly due to organic lesions of the central nervous system, then treatment involves eliminating the underlying disease. For tumors, surgery may be required; for injuries, neuroprotective therapy may be required. Nootropic and sedative drugs are often used.
Physiotherapeutic procedures are also relevant for tachylalia. Children who speak quickly are prescribed massage of the collar area, electric sleep, and so on. A child with a psychiatric illness may need appropriate help.
An important part of eliminating the problem is sessions with a speech therapist. Teachers teach children to speak measuredly and calmly. Group classes are the most effective. At the first stages of treatment for tachylalia, the child’s speech is limited. Then the number of exercises gradually expands, involving:
- question and answer games;
- silent reading;
- learning poems and songs;
- speaking in public and so on.
Teachers carefully monitor how the child speaks, and then analyze each mistake in detail. Classes with a speech therapist must be attended regularly. Correction of the pathology may take 9-12 months. At this moment, it is important for parents to follow the specialist’s recommendations and talk to the baby very calmly and quietly. If a child talks too quickly, then you need to ask him simple questions that can be answered “yes” or “no.”
The main reasons why a child talks to himself
These include:
- Lack of parental attention
The most common reason. This is the other extreme, the opposite of “suffocation” by love. In the described case, the child grows like grass. Left to his own devices. External speech becomes the only compensatory factor. The patient experiences a lack of information. During the entire period of growing up, up to the age of 18-20, this is extremely difficult to bear. Children compensate for the lack intuitively. In such cases there is nothing to fear.
- Lack of communication with peers
It occurs no less often. Children who have a certain personality type often suffer. For example, deep introverts, schizoids. Young patients with incipient schizoid psychopathy or Asperger's syndrome, high-functioning autism. Due to atypical personality traits and behavior that is strange in the opinion of peers, such a patient is subjected to ridicule and bullying. In the best traditions of school education.
As these situations are repeated, a defense mechanism develops. In the outside world, a person is inactive, silent, and does not show initiative. At home - makes up for the lack of communication in such a simple way. Especially often if the parents are not eager to communicate.
- Rich imagination
It is common to most children, but not all express their fantasies verbally. If the patient speaks to himself just like that, outside of games and other things, you should definitely listen to the content of the monologue. Context. Imaginary friends and creatures are quite normal for the first 7-9 years. Plus or minus.
- Stressful situations
Children tend to escape intense mental stress. Talking to oneself, the desire to hide, strange fantasies and games. All these are parts of one whole. In this case, a person tries to escape from reality. So-called escapism occurs. The problem needs to be solved quickly before it gets worse.
- Conflicts in the family
Swearing, scandals, and especially fights are an excessive burden on the psyche of an adult. Needless to say, how destructively they affect children's consciousness? Monologue conversations are another way to escape reality into the comfort and safety of a fantasy world. Physical and mental violence is especially dangerous. This is a factor in the development of psychopathology, including bipolar affective disorder and various types of schizophrenia.
- Game situation
Standard example. In this case, the young man talks to imaginary creatures and fully understands that they do not exist. Or with toys, giving them the properties of a living thing. There is no danger in this case. This is a normal phenomenon. A child who talks to himself learns to play out life situations. Trying on new roles.
- Mental illness
The most extensive and difficult to diagnose layer of conditions. It is not so easy to immediately determine where is fiction and where is psychopathology. Need observation. The issue is resolved by a psychiatrist. The range of possible pathological processes is wide. From schizophrenia to schizoaffective disorder, bipolar affective disorder. Childhood schizophrenia is a fairly rare condition. It accounts for no more than 1.5-2% of the total mass of psychopathologies of young people. By 10-14 years the number grows to 15-20%.
Forecast
The prognosis of tachylalia depends on the cause of its occurrence. It is also important to take into account the mental and emotional development of the baby. In addition, overcoming problems with tempo and speed of speech depends on the participation of others. It is important that the child feels the support of his parents and regularly studies with the teacher.
Tachylalia tends to recur. Therefore, after normalizing speech, parents should ensure that the baby does not speed up during a conversation. As a rule, the pathology is considered overcome if relapses are not observed within 12 months after the end of classes.
If your child speaks quickly and you don’t know what to do, then seek help from specialists at the NEAPL Speech Therapy and Psychology Center. Experienced teachers will identify the problem,, if necessary, refer you to specialized doctors and carry out competent correction of the pathology.
Answer
ela, hello. What you are describing does not seem to be a violation of syllable structure. The baby keeps the number of syllables well. For now, you have the right to skip sounds and replace them with simpler ones in articulation. The speech therapist at the clinic should have recommended your child to attend a speech kindergarten immediately after making a diagnosis of speech development disorder. This is a good opportunity to help a child without additional financial costs. Experienced speech therapists work in kindergartens. Young people are provided with methodological support. It is not very clear your desire to resort to the help of students. There are very good students who are ready to help for little money. But you must be aware that in essence you are paying for the student’s internship, and even providing your own child as a testing ground for this practice. If you are not very interested in the final result, but what is important is a pleasant and inexpensive process, look for this information on message boards about educational services. Better yet, advertise yourself that you are looking for help from senior speech therapists. They will respond. There is no point in talking about a diagnosis “in absentia”. If you are a Muscovite, come to the Center for a consultation. We will clarify the diagnosis and help with the choice of literature. Tiger Games is well protected. They don't work without a disk. It will not be possible to make a “left” copy. You'd be better off spending that money on good study guides and books. The sanatorium in Ivanteevka is a sanatorium for children with severe speech impairments. A regional child can receive a referral there from the regional children's clinic (RCP), where the district speech therapist, in turn, gives the referral. Muscovites have the opportunity to receive free help at the CHILDHOOD Center in the city of Domodedovo. Only it seems to me that you are looking for difficult paths. You need to look for help closer to home: a clinic, a kindergarten... As for articulatory gymnastics, then (if it is indicated!) it can be done without a speech therapist in the form of a game. But during the consultation, the speech therapist should show how to perform the exercises correctly and which exercises are suitable for your baby.
We also recommend, if possible, reading books on the formation of syllable structure. Listen to Kosinova's seminar on the formation of syllable structure. Go to a speech therapist for a consultation so as not to interpret
Good luck.
