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The Aims of Treatment
The aim of treatment briefly is to establish language. The aphasic
child must learn that each object has a name. In the early stages simple
everyday names are taught such as parts of the body, clothing, furniture,
etc. These can gradually be expanded and short phrases and sentences
can be introduced. In most cases this is a lengthy and demanding pro*
cess, as every form and concept of language has to be demonstrated and
taught. Most children acquire such basic concepts almost subconsciously
but an aphasic child will not.
If a child has in addition a difficulty in co-ordinating movements of.
lip and tongue, then the speech therapist will first teach the basis of all
speech - how to babble, and from this, progress to very simple words.If
the aphasic child also has spatial disorders or difficulty in perception,
then trying to broaden his experience and environment becomes a more
complex task. It will not be sufficient to show such a child a pictur s
an object, e.g. a dog, he must rather be given a toy one to feel and fo
manipulate, so that he can use the sense of touch. Aphasic children
benefit enormously from actual contact with different places and situar
tions, as so often they cannot understand complex descriptions and
explanations, e.g. they gain more by visiting a farm and perhaps making
drawings or models afterwards, than from a speech therapist or teacher
attempting to describe what a farm is.
The Aphasic Child at School
The education of an aphasic child presents many problems, particularly
if he is a member of a large class within a normal school. He is
unable to communicate so that all types of difficulties are encountered
daily, of which the following are typical:—
(i) He is unable to communicate with the other children or with the
Teacher, and often cannot express even basic requests such as permission
to leave the room.
(ii) His lack of basic vocabulary and understanding places him under
great stress, and even the simplest commands or activities are beyond
his grasp.
(iii) The stress and frustration tend to give rise to emotional disturbances,
and the child may become difficult to handle.
(iv) A child who cannot communicate and has no established language
pattern will experience great difficulty in learning - reading and spelling
in particular pose great problems.
iv) If the child has a receptive aphasia, his difficulty is even more
acute as his failure to comprehend often the simplest requests or explanations
soon earn him the reputation of being dull and unresponsive.