22 Yoga for Speech-Language Development
of yoga for children. While the topic of executive functions
will not be directly addressed in this book, these skills are
related to language. Attention, memory, planning, organization,
and regulation are examples of executive functions. Children,
particularly in school settings, are required to sit still and attend
for long periods of time. However, children are rarely taught
how to sit quietly and listen. Yoga teaches children how to
control their bodies and breathe so that they can pay attention
to learning tasks (Goldberg 2013). The practice of yoga provides
children with opportunities to attend to other people, including
their teachers, caregivers, and peers. It requires remembering
and executing sequences of movements for the poses, breathing
exercises, and chants. Meditation and mindfulness practices help
children maintain a calm, organized, and regulated state (Flook
et al. 2010). Executive functions are critical for learning to think,
act, and solve problems in everyday life.
Yoga can also be used to enhance speech-language development
in children diagnosed with different neurodevelopmental
disabilities including language disorders, speech sound disorders,
intellectual disabilities, ASD, and attention deficit/hyperactivity
disorders (AD/HD). Children with these conditions can feel
frustrated when they are unable to express themselves in an
effective, appropriate manner. Yoga provides a relaxed, playful
environment that stimulates communication and social exchanges
(Flynn and Ebert 2013; Goldberg 2013; Williams 2010). Yoga
instruction for children involves modeling and multisensory
cueing, including verbal, visual, and tactile-kinesthetic cues,
to carry out the poses, breathing exercises, and meditation
practices. In both children with and without neurodevelopmental
disabilities, yoga can enhance breath support and motor planning
for speech, vocabulary and concept development, emergent
literacy skills, and symbolic play. These aspects of development
will be explored in greater detail in the subsequent chapters.