Miakushko O., Kostenko T. - Psychophysiological Approach to Overcoming Speech Anxiety in Children with Speech Disorders

Contact: MYAKUSHKO Oksana, PhD, Senior Research Fellow, Department of Education for Children with Intellectual Disabilities, Mykola Yarmachenko Institute of Special Pedagogy and Psychology of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine. The circle of scientific interests includes the study of problem to develop the prerequisites for cognitive activity, educational and cognitive competences, social and emotional intelligence in children with special education needs, whilst psychological support of children with intellectual and complex developmental disorders and their families.

KOSTENKO Tetyana, master's degree, Faculty of Psychology, Social Work and Special Education, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University, Kyiv, Ukraine. The circle of scientific interests includes the problem of correction of speech s and emotional sphere disorders in preschool age children with speech difficulties.

The article is devoted to finding ways to reduce speech anxiety in children with speech disorders, whose emotional stress, already prone to a higher risk of developing anxiety states, may increase due to military operations in Ukraine. Speech anxiety can cause speech disorders and negatively affect personality development. The proposed solutions to this problem involve the creation of a favorable environment for the development of the child's speech skills and confidence in communication. Meanwhile, for the psychological well-being and health of children, careful and tactful intervention in their emotional sphere is also necessary, especially since often emotional problems that interfere with learning are mistakenly called "laziness" or "inadequacy". The article presents an analysis of modern research on speech anxiety. Based on the latest psychophysiological studies, which revealed two neural systems (amygdala and prefrontal cortex) involved in the process of formation of speech anxiety, it was concluded that children need to develop motivated efforts to change their maladaptive negative thoughts and consciously manage their emotions. In preschool children, whose speech anxiety often results from processes in the amygdala, learning calming strategies should be a priority.

Key words: speech anxiety, emotional sphere, calming strategies, positive thinking, speech disorders.