Task-Oriented Movement Activities in Speech-Language Therapy

Task-oriented movement (TOM) refers to purposeful and goal-directed physical activities. This type of movement is highly effective in improving executive functions, which are crucial cognitive processes for goal achievement. The three core executive functions enhanced by task-oriented movement are:

1. Inhibitory Control (Self-Control): Inhibitory control involves managing your attention, emotions, and thoughts to help ignore distractions and stay focused on your goal. It helps us think before reacting, consider past experiences, and anticipate future consequences. Inhibitory control affects various aspects of life, from academic achievement to interpersonal relationships. Engaging in TOM activities that require more than just basic cause-and-effect thinking can enhance Indvidual's attention.

   
   

2. Working Memory: Working memory allows us to remember, hold and process information to solve problems or achieve goals. This skill is essential for daily tasks like focusing, following directions, and managing emotions. It's also essential for children to become proficient readers, which includes decoding words, comprehending texts, and retaining new vocabulary. Other examples include remembering a phone number, performing mental math, following steps in a task, or recalling a question to answer it. TOMs require you to keep the problem in mind, follow an ordered plan, and check off tasks once completed.

   
   

3. Cognitive Flexibility: Involves adapting to new information to changing environments, and being able to perform different meaningful tasks, with increasing complexity over time. It enables efficient task switching, adopting new strategies, and applying them effectively. Greater cognitive flexibility leads to better reading skills in childhood, higher resilience to stress and negative events in adulthood, increased creativity, and improved quality of life in older age.

   
   

So, how do we incorporate TOM activities into speech/language therapy? We give our clients a problem to solve, a multi-step plan to execute, a method to reflect and record progress, and techniques for incorporating changes. We can adjust and modify these steps, while incorporating each individual’s speech treatment goals, to ensure their success and learning.