Logopaedic therapy of children with cerebral palsy – tactile stimulation

One of the symptoms of cerebral palsy is muscle tone disorder hencethe disorder of facial muscles. The disorder of facial muscles is connected with the supranuclear damage to the so-called bulbar pathways, with involuntary movements of these muscles that continue beyond the period of physiological occurrence in the form of motor automatisms associated with eating. Therefore the tactile stimulation and massage of certain parts of the face, around the mouth, jaws, nose and cheeks, play such an important role in the rehabilitation of children with CP. It is important because facial muscles take part in the necessary movements of eating, taking bites and keeping them in the mouth in the right position. Those processes affect the development of masticatory organ (jaws and teeth) and take active part in the shaping of motor speech mechanisms and producing sounds of speech. The aim of the paper is to discuss tactile stimulation on the example of Elena Archipowa’s method.