Speech Therapy With Mentally Retarded Children

Abstract

Positive suggestions for improvement of speech of mentally retarded children: disturbing behavioral characteristics are inhibited; child is taught to appreciate himself as a person, need for speech is motivated in awareness of speech as a means of influencing actions of others and various sense modalities are stimulated along with stress on auditory perception. Communicative goals for retarded children are limited by psychological and physiological determinants but communication can be improved in many of them. Therapist can help child realize his expressive and receptive potentials by stressing positive attitudes toward oral communication through a predominantly non-directive technique.