What Are Memory and Cognition?
Memory refers to a child’s ability to recall certain information in a timely and efficient manner. Children with language or cognitive impairments often have trouble with the memory components of learning new language skills and being able to use them on command.
Cognition refers to a child’s ability to think and analyze. Cognition impairments make it difficult for a child to learn and retain new skills. Language skills can be significantly impacted in a child with cognitive deficits.
Do Speech Therapists Work on Memory and Cognition?
Speech therapists address the role that language plays in memory and cognition. We help children use their memory and cognition to learn and retain new speech and language skills. We also help with mental organization since we as humans organize our thoughts using language.
Below are some resources on how we address memory and cognition through language:
How to Teach a Child Any New Skill By Fading Supports
What is Word Retrieval?
Word retrieval refers to a child’s ability to come up with the right word when he needs it. Have you ever gotten stuck on a word and not been able to think of what it is even though you know what it means? This happens to some children with language disorders due to inadequate organization of the language centers of the brain. Here are some activities that will help a child organize words better so they can retrieve them more quickly:
Using Word Webs can also help organize words in the brain more efficiently. Here is information on how to teach word webs:
Using a Word Web to Expand Vocabulary
Improving Recall
One important component of memory is recalling past events and being able to sequence them into a logical progression to tell someone about them. This type of activity requires not only memory but also great organization and planning.
Here is a sequencing game that will help teach a child how to sequence common events. Sequencing is an important part of recalling past events:
Below are links to various themed speech and language activities that all discuss how to improve recall within larger activities:
Cooking Activities for Speech and Language (Podcast)
Outdoor Activities for Speech and Language (Podcast)
New Year’s Activities for Speech and Language
Making Inferences
Children with language delays often have difficulty making inferences about what’s going on around them or when they are reading. Click the link below to learn more about helping a child make inferences:
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