Cognitive stimulation is a set of exercises that, coordinated and combined with the Speech Therapy specialist, stimulate and develop brain skills and abilities such as memory, language, attention, concentration, abstraction, reasoning, calculation and praxis. It is a practical and dynamic method that favors the optimal functioning of the cerebral hemispheres and improves the connection between brain and body.
It can be applied to any individual to enhance skills, mental abilities and improve and optimize brain functioning.
- Childhood retardation: language acquisition problems, psychomotor retardation.
- Aging without cognitive impairment.
- Neurodegenerative diseases: dementia, multiple sclerosis, etc.
- Acquired brain damage: craniocerebral trauma (TBI), cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), brain tumors, etc.
- Psychiatric disorders: schizophrenia, ADHD.
- Generalized developmental disorders: autism, Asperger’s syndrome, etc.
- Disability (sensory and intellectual): hypoacusis, Down syndrome, etc.
- School learning difficulties: writing difficulties, dyscalculia, dyslexia, etc.
- Others: study strategies, techniques and habits, sports training, etc.
benefits of cognitive stimulation
- Optimizes concentration
- Improves memory
- Promotes functioning of the cerebral hemispheres
- Helps hyperactive and/or attention-deficit children
- Increases self-control and self-esteem
- Improves coordination
- Promotes reading comprehension, writing, spelling and mathematics.
- Facilitates the learning of new languages
- Improves written and spoken expression
- Helps with dyslexia
- Helps the brain stay in top shape
More effective therapy depending on the patient
We must keep in mind the brain plasticity, that thanks to this, with appropriate and constant stimulation, the brain can improve its structure and functioning. Cognitive stimulation is based on two basic assumptions:
- That the brain is fundamentally plastic, i.e., susceptible to modify its structure and functioning under appropriate conditions. If such conditions are produced, the number of connections between brain neurons increases, and this is manifested in a greater and better adaptation of the individual to the environment.
- That the diverse capacities that we possess do not depend only on genetic and hereditary factors, but on learning and the continuous interaction that the individual establishes with the environment. This is important to keep in mind because it implies that they can be modified and improved with practice.
There is no single activity that demonstrates the importance of cognitive stimulation. We must stimulate all cognitive areas. To do this, we will work with computer programs, cards, worksheets, manipulative materials, music, coordination movements, sensory stimuli, etc.