Abstract:
Language presents an important faculty that makes possible the insertion of the child into the environment. One of the important components of the language is the phonetic-phonematic one, pronunciation skills evolve with age and allow the child to interact with those around them, to expand the vocabulary, to train the correct model of expression, so the language develops. In the case of genetic conditions, namely Down Syndrome, the phonetic-phonemic side is deeply affected, which slows down the evolution of language and communication. The underdevelopment of the phonetic-phonemic side in children with Down syndrome has a specific character, on the one hand morpho-functional peculiarities of the speech apparatus are attested (macroglossia, specific configuration of the hard palate, as well as hypotonia of the articulatory muscles), on the other hand insufficiency at the level of phonemic perception; of analysis operations and synthesis of the acoustic characteristics of sounds; of attention, gnosis and auditory memory, etc. Thus, the speech therapy intervention in order to improve the language of children with Down syndrome will be a complex and long-lasting one, considering all aspects: typological peculiarities, age peculiarities and also the personality specific to these children.
