APPLICATION OF THE SITUATIONAL-IMITATIONAL ACTIVITY METHOD IN SPEECH RESTORATION WITH APHASIA

Abstract

The problem of providing effective speech therapy to patients with aphasia in the rehabilitation department is extremely relevant today. This is due to the increase in the number of patients suffering from aphasia. The article aim is to highlight the features of the situational-imitative activity method using during the communicative function restoration of speech in people with different aphasia types. Aphasia is an acquired speech disorder that occurs as a result of brain damage and can significantly affect the quality of a person’s life. Traditional speech therapy methods are often not effective enough to restore speech with aphasia, so the search for new approaches is relevant. The situational-imitative activity method involves the situations creation that are as close to real ones as possible, in which the patient can use his speech skills. Imitation of gestures, facial expressions and speech contributes to the activation of the preserved brain areas and the lost functions restoration. This method is based on the principles of: imitation, situationality, complexity. The situational-imitation method is used to solve the problems of improving speech comprehension, restoring vocabulary, activating grammatical structures, and developing dialogical speech. It is noted that it is important to adapt the situations complexity to the patient’s level of speech skills, repeat the exercises several times, create a positive atmosphere and encourage the patient to communicate, use different situations and different contexts, take into account the patient’s individual characteristics, his interests and needs. The study showed that this method use contributes to improving speech comprehension, expanding vocabulary and restoring the grammatical structure of speech in patients with aphasia. Observations (analysis of patients’ behavior during classes, their activity and interest) and surveys (collection of patients’ and their families’ opinions regarding the method effectiveness) were used to assess the effectiveness of the situational- imitation method.