The latest Neuroscience research uses neuro-imaging or scanning (e.g. fMRI) to see exactly how different factors affect learning outcomes.
Research also shows us objective evidence of how different parts of the brain changes (brain ‘plasticity’) in learning (e.g. secretion of different chemicals or neurotransmitters).
By combining neuroscience evidence-based principles with practical classroom feedback in therapy, we can focus therapy efforts better and produce results more effectively and quickly to help our clients overcome deficits in learning.
Here are some principles we have spent hours distilling from the technical jargon and simplified for your benefit:
What Neuroscience Research tells us about achieving the Best Speech and Language Therapy Improvements:
1. Research finding:
There is a neural system called a ‘mirror mechanism’ whereby the part of the brain usually activated by ‘doing’ an action can also be activated by observing someone else doing the action (Rizzolatti et al, 2009)
What it means when teaching your child:
The human brain is designed to learn by watching others.
We proactively target this skill in your child and encourage him to learn by watching others so that he is getting the most opportunity to learn, not just directly from the teacher, but also from his peers and others around him. This is learning multiplied.
Learning consists of not just asking your child to perform the skill but having our skilled Speech and Language therapist or teacher include as much demonstration as possible (‘auditory bombardment’) at a level customized to your child’s performance. (Your child does it, observes, does it, observes it etc at the optimal ratio for your child.)
If you do not have the time luxury to ‘splurge’ on spending extended lengths of time teaching your child, ‘steal’ time and emphasize what your child is learning as often as possible whenever you are talking to your child in normal daily routines.
Use the specific sound, or the specific language concept, the sentence structure etc. Emphasize by slowing down, saying it louder, saying it in a way as to get your child’s attention, and repeating.
e.g. “Julian, do you want peanut butter or jam? It’s nice strawberry jam”
“Where are your school shoes? Oh here they are, between your black shoes and red shoes. They are squeezed in between.”
Do not underestimate the impact of doing this consistently and faithfully.
Stay tuned for more…
Our Contributor
The author, Ms Magan Chen brings with her more than 21 years of speech and language therapy experience in both private hospital and enrichment centre settings. This gives us exceptional understanding of our clients’ medical and/or school needs.
She has helped more than 1500 individuals to overcome their communication or learning difficulties.
Ms. Magan Chen trained in London, U.K. (M.Sc. Human Communication) and Sydney, Australia (B. App. Sc. in Speech Pathology).
Magan is a registered Certified Practising Speech Language Pathologist (CPSP) with the Speech Pathology Australia.
She is also the founding President and a registered member of Speech-Language and Hearing Association Singapore (SHAS, the professional body representing Speech Language Therapists in Singapore.
Magan has been interviewed and featured in various newspapers and magazines such as Young Parents Magazine, The Straits Times & The New Paper.
Together with Magan, our team of competent and caring speech language therapists and teachers help hundreds of individuals improve their ability to communicate and have more say in life.
If you would like to see a highly experienced speech language therapist / pathologist for an initial consultation, please call us at (65) 6223-7876.
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