What is Cognitive Delay in Toddlers & Speech Therapy Technique That Works Best for Them?

Cognitive(or thinking) delay is a developmental delay in which a kid is not capable to think, learn and solve problems. For example: learning to count, naming colors and learning new words.

Also, the toddlers include the delay in child activities. Child activities include finding hidden items, understanding, imitating actions of event or words, language skills.

However, Cognition is an important process of acquiring and understanding knowledge, thoughts, experiences, and senses.  A child or toddler delayed in their ability to acquire and understand knowledge gained through their thoughts, experiences, and senses.

If you need more information or you have a question regarding Cognitive Delay in Toddlers & Speech Therapy, you can discuss it with our HearingSol healthcare professionals, just give us a call on +91-9327901950. We are always here to help you.

Four Factors that Influence Cognitive Behavior

• The maturation of the nervous system.
• Experience.
• The Social transmission of information or teaching.
• Equilibration.

Four stages of cognitive development:

Four stages which lead to brain development and growth.

Sensorimotor (0 to 2 years of life)

• Major features and development related changes.
• The infant knows the world through its movements and sensations.
• Children learn about the world through basic actions such as sucking, looking, grasping, and listening.
• They discover that their actions can be anything in the world around them.

Preoperational (age 2 to 7 years)

• During this stage, Children begin to think symbolically and learn to use words and image to represent objects.
• At this stage, children are egoistic and struggle to see things from others’ perspectives.

Concrete operations (age 7 to 11 years)

• During this stage, the children begin to think logically about solid events.
• Their thinking becomes more logical and organized, but still very solid.
• Children start using inductive reasoning or argue with specific information for general information.

Formal operations (adolescence)

• During this stage, teens or young adults begin to think abnormally and argue about hypothetical problems.
• An abstract idea emerges.
• Start using reduced logic or logic for specific information from the general theory.

Impact of Hearing Loss on Cognitive Development

Hearing loss may have various impacts on the cognitive development of a child. It is especially with language learning such as vocabulary, sentence structure, speaking, academic achievement, and other social functions.

• Hearing Loss affects the development of communication skills(receptive or expressive) such as speech and language.
• When a child grows the language problems in child reduce their learning ability and academic achievement.
• Toddler or people face communication problems which cause social isolation. And also poor self-confidence and its impact on vocational choices.

Which speech therapy technique works best for a child with cognitive impairment?

Generally, treatment for speech therapy should start as soon as possible. Children who start speech therapy (before they’re 5 years of age) have a tendency to have better results over the kids who start treatment later.

Children may require speech therapy techniques for different reasons-

• Hearing loss
• Cognitive impairment or other developmental delays
• Weak oral muscles
• Birth defects
• Autism
• Motor planning problems
• Articulation problems
• Feeding and swallowing disorders
• Traumatic brain injury
• Dyslexia

Cognitive impairment results in the reduction of active participation, daily living activities and social relationships. However, Kids with cognition impairment can have dysphoria and mental retardation. The reduction of cognition ability in kids such as thinking and mental. An individual with cognitive impairment is at risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Therefore, it is very important for a kid with low cognition to have three to five days of the week to have speech therapy.

Choose a Therapist

It’s vital to ensure that the speech therapist is certified. That accreditation implies the SLP has no less than a graduate degree in the field and has passed a national examination.

The therapist used different speech therapy technique including:

Language intervention exercise

The therapist will connect with a youngster by playing and talking. They also use pictures, books, or objects to empower language improvement. The therapist may also correct vocabulary and syntax to build language skill.

Articulation exercise

An Articulation exercise includes the specialist correct sounds and grammar in words. It produces syllables regularly during play exercises. The level of play is not only age-related but also specific to the kids’ particular needs.

Oral-motor/feeding and swallowing therapy

The SLP might be using a different material of oral activities. Basically, it includes facial expression, tongue, lip, and jaw. The activities to strengthen the muscles of the mouth for eating and swallowing. The pathologist examines all the facial movements of a child while speaking, smiling, laughing, etc.

Speech Evaluation

A pathologist put some pictures in front of a child. And tell the child to determine a picture. So, in this evaluation, a pathologist will observe a child’s ability to express words and sentences.

Conclusion

However, The speech therapist will work on your child speech and language. They will enhance their communication skills. They will teach you different ways of treating a child at a home.

Read more:-

• What is the best age to start speech therapy?
• What are the causes of speech disorders?
• Why do kids need a speech therapist?