The vivid image of a speech therapist created by Roland Bykov in the old film «For Family Circumstances» somewhat distorted our perception of this important profession. Speech therapists are people with a deep level of knowledge about the physiology of the child, and methods of interaction with children with developmental disorders, and the general processes that affect the state of development of the child. And most importantly – these are people with a good heart who follow the vocation. On the day of the professional holiday we talked to Alla Shovtyuk, director of the municipal institution «Second Inclusive Resource Center of Zhytomyr City Council», a professional with many years of practice as a speech therapist and speech pathologist
«I have been working as a teacher-speech therapist of preschool institutions for 30 years. About 600 children received help, corrected speech disorders, and this is only in kindergarten. I also work as the director of the Inclusive Resource Center of the Zhytomyr City Council, where children with developmental disabilities come, where I, a speech therapist of the highest category, a teacher-methodologist, advise parents on education and upbringing of children with developmental disabilities and severe speech disorders»
«Symptoms of mental retardation can be detected from the age of four months. Children have increased salivation, often an open mouth, they are low-emotional or hyperactive and poorly developed physically. If at four months the baby does not respond to your words and gestures, does not smile, at eight or nine months does not babble, and at the age of one year makes almost no sounds, you need to pay attention. At the age of one and a half, a child must understand the language in which he or she is addressed, and repeat new words at the age of two. In his speech, a child of two and a half years should use up to 20 words, know the names of body parts, objects, compose a short phrase, and at the age of three can repeat the phrase for adults or make a simple sentence. You should also pay attention if the child speaks too slowly or, conversely – quickly, swallowing the end of words. Therefore, from an early age, parents need to pay attention to how the formation of the child’s speech. Can a child say «mom, dad, give». If a child is silent or at the age of two or three speaks in separate words, this is a reason to consult a speech therapist or consult a neurologist. Early detection of problems is the key to the success of further education of the child. Parents often say: «Dad also spoke badly, and then he started – you can’t stop». You don’t have to wait six or seven years, because the defects can become obsolete, and then it will be difficult for specialists to work with them»
«Long ago, after maternity leave, I came to work in a kindergarten to work with children with general speech underdevelopment. There, two brothers with Alalia, who were one of my first favourites, came up in my group. With them I could use my own knowledge and methods obtained at Kyiv University named after M.P. Drahomanov (ed. – now the National Pedagogical University named after M.P. Drahomanov) and the experience of colleagues. I am very grateful to our mentor Vedernikova Valentyna Ivanivna, who taught and helped young speech therapists in Zhytomyr and the region… At one time, these boys went to high school, then graduated from Zhytomyr Polytechnic – a great achievement. After all, there are cases when children do not start talking until the age of seven or eight, and then do not speak at all. This happens in children with Down syndrome…»
«Now there are many children with autism, with complex disorders… To be able to work with such children, I went to study. Kateryna Ostrovska, a professor at Lviv University, came to us, and I went to Kyiv for international conferences, where I learned the latest techniques. And it’s very nice when your first student with autism after kindergarten went to high school: he studies, reads, retells, writes without mistakes…»
«It’s hard to work psychologically, because you can’t always help. A lot depends on the parents, their active position. There are effects of «closed doors»: your child works, enjoys, and at home does not want to repeat, does not do articulation exercises. Therefore, without the help of parents, without their daily work, nothing will happen. The process of speech is very complex, because it is not only the repetition of sounds that children pronounce defectively, but also work on phonemic hearing, the constituent structure of the word, the grammatical structure of the word. The help of the family is very much needed: the children’s regime, regular classes in the morning and in the evening in the form of a game in front of a mirror. Encouragement is very important for such children»
«I want to succeed, and it is difficult – we move step by step. We want the child to like to work with a specialist. To do this, we constantly come up with new games, write new manuals. Children are changing: when we started working in the 90s, everyone was sitting at desks, listening, raising their hands, and now we need a whole arsenal of technologies for the child to come to the «lady speech therapist»
«Now more and more difficult children do not go to compensatory groups, but study with other children – an inclusive form of education, also receive services: classes with a speech therapist, psychologist, speech pathologist… There are still special schools. Although the process of deinstitutionalization is underway, such schools remain for children with severe disabilities… The disadvantage is that the child leaves the family – lives and goes to school from Monday to Friday. If the school has professional specialists, and the child can just attend it every day, I think it will be much more efficient and convenient»
«The reasons that the number of children with developmental disorders is increasing may be injuries during childbirth, organic damage to the central nervous system, decomposition products of mercury in the air, poor quality water, industrial meat production, GMO products, the birth of children by women at a later age. Also now «children of Chornobyl» give birth already, and it too is shown»
«I love my job for the children and for the results. When a young child begins to pronounce words correctly and succeeds, it is a great pleasure. It is very nice to watch when our favourites come on stage, have a well-delivered speech. And it is very sad that some deputies at one time did not meet the professional speech therapist»
«Speech is formed before the age of seven or eight, and only some disorders such as stuttering need to be worked on throughout life. Therefore, everything must be done on time, in childhood. I advise you to look for professional speech therapists, and there are a lot of them both in Zhytomyr and in the region»
«I think that Zhytomyr is one of the five best cities with the opportunity to provide speech therapy to children. We have strong professionals who are constantly learning, participating in international events, receiving awards and distinctions. We have a powerful Center for Methodological Assistance at the Department of Education of the Zhytomyr City Council in Zhytomyr, headed by Tatyana Myanovska»
«Speech therapy is free of charge in kindergartens, secondary schools, and inclusive resource centers. Parents need to be attentive to their child and get to the educational institution on time, monitor the child’s speech from two to three years, come for consultations. In Zhytomyr, there are three inclusive resource centers with speech therapists and speech pathologists who work with children from two to 18 years old. They will consult for free, tell you where you can get quality services, draw up educational routes for your child. Therefore, those who knock are always opened. And I think there will be more of our speech therapists with the introduction of inclusive education. Time does not stand still: many methods appear, foreign practices are introduced. Zhytomyr has studied the Italian and Canadian experience, we are studying the work of German specialists in working with children with autism. Now in Zhytomyr the faculty where it is possible to receive education of the speech therapist opens»
«I consider myself a successful person. For me, success is the achievement of a goal. In the 1990s, there was no work, politics changed. After graduating from the Zhytomyr Pedagogical Institute with a degree in Russian Language and Literature, I entered Kyiv University named after M.P. Drahomanov, received a second higher education and became a speech therapist. Having a small child, I studied at the hospital. Two years ago I won the competition for the director of the Inclusive Resource Center. I benefit people, and it gives me pleasure»
«We usually celebrate a professional holiday on November 14. We do not forget about pensioners – we invite them to activities. These people give their hearts and souls to children. Our profession is needed because it gives people a chance to realize themselves, to become successful. Because in a person everything must be beautiful: soul, body and speech as well»
