Hearing and speech impairment is one of the first non-specific symptoms of autism. Children with autism, in particular, have difficulty processing words auditorily in noisy environments: they do not understand what is being said to them. Elena Orekhova, a leading researcher at the MEG center at Moscow State Psychological and Pedagogical University, told socialbites.ca that there are two ways to correct this disorder.
“The first is listening training, just like when learning a foreign language. Various game programs are used here. A second highly effective method that can help children suffering from auditory processing disorders is the remote microphone system. The microphone is placed near the speaker’s mouth (e.g. attached to the teacher’s or parent’s clothing) and the child wears a signal amplification device that is either built into an ‘open type’ hearing aid or connected to headphones. This signal amplification improves speech understanding,” Orekhova noted.
According to him, studies have shown that long-term use of such a device leads to sustainable plastic changes in the brain. So you can notice positive dynamics not only while the child is using this assistive device, but also after he has finished using it.
“Unfortunately, this method is not yet used in Russia. At the Federal Resource Center of the Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, where children with ASD study, a study on the effectiveness of home systems with external microphones is being conducted. “We are also studying the mechanisms of auditory-speech disorders in children with autism at the MEG center of the Moscow State University of Psychology and Education,” noted the neurobiologist.
Learn more about why each child’s brain with ASD is unique, which parent is more likely to pass on autism genes, and the root cause of autism. report Orekhova “socialbites.ca”.
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