Speech therapy support for children with speech disorders in the scientific and practical center conditions

The growth in the number of children with speech disorders and the limited opportunities for them to receive speech therapy assistance in preschool institutions, including in connection with military operations in Ukraine, make the problem of speech therapy support extremely relevant. In this study, we will present the work results of Scientific and Practical Center of Speech Therapy Department of Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A. S. Makarenko, aimed at solving the above-mentioned problem. The research purpose is finding out the optimal conditions and forms of organizing speech therapy work with preschoolers who have speech disorders, and analyzing the effectiveness of the Scientific and Practical Center in this area. The research is based on the scientific sources analysis, the speech therapy results diagnostics and statistical processing of the data obtained. The work substantiates the need to include elements of sensory integration in the speech therapy process. Based on the close relationship between sensory and speech development, and also taking into account the fact that sensory information processing disorders can cause speech problems, the authors suggest using the sensory integration method as one of the effective means of correcting speech disorders in preschool children. The period of children’s presence in the center was determined individually depending on the complexity of the speech disorder and was at least a year. Classes were conducted in an individual format. Of the 87 children who participated in the research, 65 successfully completed the correction program or demonstrated significant progress. 33 children were enrolled in speech therapy groups of preschool educational institutions. The remaining 32 children were discharged with a sufficient level of speech development, which gave them the opportunity to continue their education and upbringing in mass educational institutions. 22 children who participated in the research currently continue to attend the center. 17 of them have good positive development dynamics, and only 5 children have insignificant development dynamics. The center’s activities results represent the the scientific and practical center effectiveness and the relevance of creating similar institutions in Ukraine.