Comparison of cognitive functions in children aged 4–5.5 with motor alalia and erased dysarthria

<p><strong>Context and relevance.</strong> One of the pressing problems of child psychology and childhood neuropsychology remains a significant number of junior and senior preschoolers with various speech disorders. The consequence of such disorders is a delay in the cognitive development and the need for specialists who can positively influence the formation of desired levels of development through correctional work that take into account the specific characteristics of these children. <strong>Objective</strong>. Comparison of cognitive functions in different forms of speech disorders. <strong>Hypothesis.</strong> The severity of cognitive disorders in erased dysarthria and motor alalia will be determined by the ratio of predominant losses from the cortical and subcortical structures of the brain. <strong>Methods and materials.</strong> The article presents a comparative analysis of the cognitive functions in children with speech disorders. The study involved two groups of children aged 4–5.5 years with motor alalia and erased dysarthria, who had damage to their motor component of speech in common. Cognitive functions were assessed using a set of neuropsychological research methods. <strong>Results.</strong> It was found that the greatest differences between the groups were observed in verbal activity, despite the fact that the data obtained indicate better preservation of mental functions in children with erased dysarthria. This conclusion may indicate a comparatively greater involvement of the cortical morphofunctional systems in temporal lobes for motor alalia. <strong>Conclusions. </strong>In children with erased dysarthria, the state of mental functions in almost all parameters exceeds similar indicators of children with alalia. An exception to this rule is the state of spatial praxis and voluntary efforts when performing tasks on visual gnosis. The results can be taken into account when creating correction programs for children with these speech disorders.</p>