Neuropsychological correction in childhood: exercises, methods, principles, reviews

Neuropsychological diagnosis and correction of children occupy one of the leading places among disciplines related to the field of normal and abnormal development (ontogenesis). The work is based on the concept of dynamic systemic localization of higher brain functions. Today, neuropsychological diagnosis and correction extend to new practical areas.

Targets and goals

Neuropsychological diagnosis and correction in childhood is aimed at:

1. Determining the level of lack of formation of higher functions, identifying compensatory opportunities.
2. The formation and development of scarce psychological processes. This is achieved by relying on preserved strong links and establishing interaction between functions.

Key Points

In the work, experts rely on certain principles of neuropsychological correction. First of all, you need to understand that these methods do not act as training. They suggest the formation of basic functions and processes that are necessary for further development. Correction begins with exposure to background elements. Thus, there is an indirect effect on the formation of deficit functions. The program should line up according to the degree of development of brain processes. The vector of formation of functions is from bottom to top, from left to right, from inside to outside. The patterns of the internalization process are the basis of the program, according to which neuropsychological correction is carried out in childhood. Exercises should gradually become more complicated, and outside assistance in the performance of tasks should decrease. As a result, the child moves from joint activities to independent, guided by the first detailed and then folded instructions. The program should include classes in a playful way. This is necessary to eliminate tension, increase motivation, enhance the effectiveness of brain activity without harming health.

Features of program development

Methods of neuropsychological correction are selected individually for each child. For this, a systematic data analysis is carried out. From the structural features of higher functions will depend on the direction of work on learning with impaired development. Neuropsychological diagnosis and correction in childhood is carried out on the basis of ideas about three functional brain blocks (in accordance with the concept of A. R. Luria). Particular attention is paid to the establishment of interhemispheric interaction. It is necessary for the successful course of all mental processes.

Cognitive development

Its formation begins in the first days of a child's life. First of all, a small person joins in family (home) life. Here he receives a huge amount of sensations: he sees people around him, he is fed, he experiences different touches to his body, he hears voices, noises, etc. As you know, the development of the psyche of children occurs at different ages. For example, the formation of motor functions is most intense in 1.5-2 years. A child at this age learns to deal with objects, with his body. After 1.5 years, speech development is activated. The vocabulary begins to accumulate in the child, the development of phrasal speech takes place, periods of questions and creation of words begin. Each function corresponds to a sensitive age at which it develops most intensively. After its formation, it begins to act as the basis for the formation of the following complexity of mental processes.

First brain block

It is considered energy. The first block provides the necessary tone of the nervous system, helps maintain an optimal state of wakefulness. Normal activity of the body is possible only with stable operation. Arising violations in the functions of the first brain block do not allow the child to complete tasks, carry out any activity, play.

Decreased activity

This is one of the main symptoms of impaired activity of the energy block of the brain. In such cases, the child is passive, he is not interested in the environment. Its cognitive and motor activity is minimal. Neuropsychological correction in childhood will be of decisive importance in such a situation. Exercises should be aimed at stimulating activity through the motor, emotional and sensory (tactile, auditory, visual) areas. Games that are offered to the child should contain rhythmic movements. In this case, emotional reinforcement is mandatory. Aromatherapy, massage, and water procedures are also used for stimulation. As the activity increases, the child can be offered not only individual sensations, but their more complex complexes. The main elements on which the stimulating neuropsychological correction in childhood is based are exercises that require the child to maintain a certain rhythm. For example, it can be walking with musical accompaniment at a given tempo, tapping a song on a drum, etc. After a child has learned to keep one rhythm, he is given tasks to change them. As a result, he tries to capture changes and act accordingly. The work should also use techniques that include a comprehensive neuropsychological correction (program A.V. Semenovich). These, in particular, include activities aimed at the formation of proper breathing. Arttherapy has a positive effect on the enrichment of the child’s energy background.

Brain information block

He is responsible for receiving, processing and storing information. The activity of the analyzer structures of the body allows a person to hear, see, remember and reproduce the information received, as well as compare it with existing data. Violations of this block are manifested in poor recognition of pictures or real objects. In advanced cases, the child may not even recognize toys or household items that are familiar to him. If the violations relate to auditory perception, he is poorly oriented in space, cannot establish the source of sound, compare with the subject that publishes it. With tactile disturbances, the child forms a distorted view of the body, slows down the development of fine and large motor skills. There is also a failure in coordination of movements.

Visual impairment

How is neuropsychological correction performed in childhood in such cases? Exercises should be aimed at identifying:

1. Real items. If the child has difficulty recognizing them.
2. Realistic images. The child learns to determine the correspondence between the picture and the subject.
3. Noisy images. After the child has learned to establish the relationship between objects and their illustrations, the task is complicated. He is offered sketchy, contour, black and white or noisy pictures.
4. Image design. In this case, the child learns to recognize the picture by its fragment.

Auditory Disorders

In this case, the neuropsychological correction of children with ZPR includes tasks for distinguishing:

1. Sounds of non-speech nature. During the game, the teacher acquaints the child with the sound of water, the creak of a door, the impact of a falling object, etc. All these sounds can be created by a child independently and, thus, establish a connection between action and noise. After this, the range of auditory perception should be expanded. The child is offered musical instruments or toys, etc.
2. Speech contrasting sounds. A child who has learned to distinguish between different noises may be interested in speech. He still cannot fully understand words and phrases, but he is already able to distinguish sounds unlike each other. For example, in adult speech - vowels and consonants. A child can guess whether a snake is approaching him (by the sound "shhhh") or a plane ("wooh"). After that, the task becomes more complicated. The child learns to distinguish sounds close to each other. Then, games are introduced into the classes, where he begins to pronounce simple syllables ("ay", "bbc", etc.). More difficult is the task in which the child learns to understand words that differ in one sound. For example, he is asked to give "miSku" and "miSku", etc.
   

Speech understanding

Neuropsychological correction in childhood is carried out from simple to complex. First, the child is taught to understand simple individual words. At the request of an adult, he gives some kind of picture or object. Then the child learns to perceive and follow instructions (also - from simple to complex, two- or three-stage). In the process, you need to include exercises in the game context. In this case, the child does not perform any task, but performs an action.

Tactile Disorders

Consider how in this case a neuropsychological correction is performed. In the exercises, first of all, there must be tasks for sensory development, within which the child will receive different sensations from his own body. As a result, a holistic view of him is formed. The child must clearly understand where what part of the body is, what it does, what sensations from touch arise.

Memory development

Neuropsychological correction of learning difficulties in childhood is aimed at focusing the attention of the child on a specific subject. As observations show, in case of violation of the memorization of material obtained using one perception channel, the ability to reproduce data received in another way is noted. Simply put, a child who does not remember information well by ear can easily draw 5-6 pictures from memory. However, often children do not know how to use these abilities. Neuropsychological correction is carried out taking into account the chronology of the development of memory. Initially, it appears on people and events that have emotional significance for the child. So, first of all, he distinguishes a mother among people, then those with whom certain experiences are associated (with someone he likes to play, is afraid of someone). Game classes should consolidate information in memory - first simple, then complex. Here you can use a variety of poems, tongue twisters, songs, etc.

Impaired attention

It manifests itself in all areas of activity. The child is not able to concentrate even on interesting games, he is distracted by any noise (wind outside the window, dropped object, etc.). Neuropsychological correction is also carried out during the game. First, the specialist observes the child, identifies objects and toys that are of interest to him. They can attract the attention of the baby. Further, the child learns to focus on some interesting game for a short time. The challenge here is to hold attention for several minutes. The teacher uses additional incentives for this. Further, the neuropsychological correction of children includes classes on the distribution of attention. So, the child is offered not one, but several toys. He learns to interact with them at the same time. As a result, the game becomes more interesting. Further, the task can be complicated: to put several toys not directly in front of him, but on different sides, thus increasing the playing space.

Neuropsychological correction: reviews

So that the child can navigate the environment, perceive new information, interact with other people, he must determine the difference and similarity between phenomena and objects, be able to classify them, and trace the connection of events. The development of visual-effective thinking is the first task posed by a neuropsychological correction. The reviews of specialists and parents indicate that during practical exercises a child has:

1. Awareness of the functional purpose of various items.
2. The formation of ideas about the differences and similarities of objects, their sizes.
3. Understanding the causal relationship between events.

When performing tasks on the development of visual-figurative thinking, as observations show, the child develops an understanding of the correspondence of the picture, subject and word that designates it. On a more complex level, he establishes a connection between illustration and event. Those children who do not use speech in communication learn to express desires using pictures. For example, if a child is thirsty, he shows an adult an image of a cup, if you take a walk - an illustration of clothes and so on. This way of organizing life and communication is used when interacting with autistic children. In addition, the child begins to understand the meaning of plot pictures and their series.

Third brain block

He is responsible for programming, regulation and control of complex activities. Thanks to this block, the organization of active conscious mental behavior, the compilation of a program and plan of action, as well as the monitoring of their implementation are ensured. When working with children in whom these functions are impaired, it is important to consider that classes should be carried out only in a playful way. The child will not sit at the table for a long time, listen and perform tasks that he does not want to do.

Interhemispheric interaction

It is crucial in mental activity. In case of communication failure, coordination of movement (interaction of legs and arms, walking, etc.) may become difficult or inaccessible. At the next level, no links are formed between non-verbal and verbal functions, and the process of analyzing the incoming information is complicated. First of all, it is necessary to develop general motor coordination. For this, various exercise therapy programs, outdoor games are used. Based on them, further work is built on the development of the interaction of different parts of the body. In parallel with the child, classes are held using soft materials. He sculpts simple figures from clay or plasticine, kneads the dough with both hands.

Finger gymnastics

The dependence of the formation of the child’s speech on the level of development of general motility is proved experimentally. Studies show that if the range of movements corresponds to the age period, then the ability of children to express their thoughts aloud will also be within normal limits. Due to the development of general and finger motility, the working capacity of the cerebral cortex increases. The teacher can use exercises accompanied by the speech of children, included in the main program of speech therapy sessions as physical education minutes.

Relaxation

Relaxation exercises are carried out at all stages of correction. Their performance may be accompanied by music. Children are invited in their place (at the table) to put their hands on their hands and close their eyes. They can also lie on the carpet on their backs, stretch their arms with their palms down along the body. At the same time, they are invited to submit some plot with their participation. For example, they fly on a cloud, feel a warm breeze on their cheeks. The exercise can be completed with the words: "Well, the wind has become cool, and we wanted to go back to the ground."

Logo rhythm lesson

In the course of practical work, a definite structure was formed. It includes:

1. Movements without musical accompaniment, involving different types of walking.
2. Dance.
3. Finger gymnastics, implying compliance with a certain intonation.
4. Breathing exercises, focusing on the force of exhalation, with elements of relaxation.
5. Song accompanied by gestures.
6. Articulation gymnastics, including elements of facial exercises.
7. Learning quatrains using movements.
8. Speech therapy gymnastics.

Features

All exercises are carried out in imitation. In the process of conducting classes, the teacher must choose a place so that his face is visible to every child, so that articulation and facial movements can be repeated. It is advisable that everyone sit in a circle or sit in a semicircle. In this case, the children will see the teacher well, simultaneously speak and repeat the material with him.

Occupation Value

As the long-term experience of observation shows, children who have a general speech underdevelopment at preschool age, during joint games become more active, confident. They quickly learn the rules, which are subsequently transferred to independent activity. Game exercises prevent overwork of children, act as a means of emotional discharge and allow you to achieve maximum corrective and educational effect. Activities for preschoolers, therefore, should be varied.

Conclusion

. : , . , , , .

Before the start of the correctional developmental classes, it is necessary to establish the initial level of development of brain functions in the child. In accordance with this, you should choose the stage from which you need to carry out the work. For example, in the presence of gross speech disorders, it is advisable to start with musical and sensory activities to increase the activity of the child. With severe violations, when development occurs very slowly, work can stretch for several years. In these cases, without stopping classes on the formation of basic functions, you need to pay attention to the application of acquired skills in life.

If the violations are not very gross, it is necessary to determine the stages that were passed by the child on his own. Work begins with the last of them. If you follow the program sequence, you can achieve clear positive results.