ENHANCING EMOTIONAL HEALTH IN PRESCHOOLERS WITH SEVERE SPEECH DISORDERS THROUGH PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Abstract

Aim. This study investigates the emotional health characteristics of preschool children with severe speech impairment. Materials and methods. Sixty preschool children with severe speech impairments participated in the study. Emotional health measurements involved emotional background, emotional expression, and emotional mobility. The assessment tools were adapted from those developed by V.A. Doskina, A.I. Zakharova, T.V. Arkhireeva, and O.A. Orekhova to meet the experimental requirements and specific needs of children with speech impairment. Results. During the study, the children were allocated into two groups according to their emotional health levels, namely the average-level group (50%) and the low-level group (50%). To enhance emotional well-being, interventions were implemented across three areas: teacher training on integrating physical activities into lessons; enhancing emotional well-being through physical education and wellness; and promoting parent-teacher initiatives to strengthen the emotional spheres of children with speech impairment. Study outcomes demonstrated that participants had improved emotional health profiles post-intervention: high emotional health: 10%; average emotional health: 55%; low emotional health: 35%. Conclusion. This study demonstrates the efficacy of targeted interventions in enhancing emotional health in preschool children with severe speech impairment. Key study achievements include: increased emotional balance and proactivity; emergence of self-optimism; reduction in rigidity; emergence of independence. These changes contribute to improved mood and enhanced emotional well-being.