CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH
“Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder that makes it hard for children to speak. Children with the diagnosis of apraxia of speech generally have a good understanding of language and know what they want to say. However, they have difficulty learning or carrying out the complex movements that underlie speech.” (via: https://www.apraxia-kids.org/)
We provide the following services in treating Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Consultation, Assessment, Collaboration with other professionals and family members, and treatment. Treatment is often recommended for shorter duration per session (30-45 minutes) and increased frequency per week (2-3+ times weekly).
Each treatment plan is individualized to the needs of the client and client’s family. Treatment focuses on increasing meaningful verbal words or approximations, teaching multi-modal communication (i.e., verbal speech, vocalizations, gestures, sign language, AAC), improving oral movement gestures between sounds and syllables, and systematically improving & shaping verbal speech production using a hierarchy.
Parents/caregivers and family are an important part of the treatment process to translate skills learned in therapy to the child’s everyday life. Frequent and systematic practice is essential to building verbal speech skills at home. Techniques used by the SLP include PROMPT (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets) and DTTC (Dynamic Temporal Tactile Cueing).
You can learn more about PROMPT here: https://promptinstitute.com/
You can learn more about DTTC here:
https://www.childapraxiatreatment.org/dttc/
ALTERNATIVE AUGMENTATIVE COMMUNICATION (AAC)
Alternative and Augmentative communication describes different communication methods that help individuals who have difficulty using verbal speech alone to communicate effectively. Some people communicate verbally but use AAC to supplement their speech while others are unable to use their voice or natural speech.
We thoughtfully design AAC systems to meet each of our client’s needs while considering the optimal access method the person will use when using the device. For example some people may use direct select, eye gaze, partner-assisted scanning, switches, or head pointing.
We provide the following AAC services: Consultations, Assessments, obtaining and trialing devices, funding dedicated devices, and device training.
We use and are experienced in using the following systems:
High-tech Speech-Generating devices:
Dedicated devices (e.g., Prentke Romich Company, Tobii)
Low Tech and Mid Tech Systems: BigMack and Jelly Bean switches, Specialty switches, Pragmatic Organisational Dynamic Display (PODD)
IPad apps: LAMP Words for Life, Snap +Core First, TouchChat, Proloquo2go, GoTalkNow+
D.I.R FLOORTIME
Floortime is a a therapeutic model that is used to promote an individual's development through a respectful, playful, joyful, and engaging process. It uses the power of relationships and human connections to promote engagement, communication, self-advocacy, and thinking. It is an evidence-based approach to promoting human development that is used with children, young adults, and even adults (particularly in autistic children, young adults, and adults).
https://www.icdl.com/dir/floortime
EARLY INTERVENTION/HANEN PROGRAMS:
Early intervention programs provide treatment for young children ages 0-3. Treatment is individualized based on each child’s strengths and needs. In early intervention, we focus on building interaction skills, joint attention, pre-linguistic skills, play skills, social language, imitation, and expressive/receptive language skills. If appropriate for your child, we may also work on articulation or motor speech skills. During early intervention services, a strong emphasis is placed on collaboration with each child’s family members and any other teachers/therapists working with the young child. For this age range, therapy is always play-based, fun & animated, and typically child led.
HANEN programs used include ‘It takes Two to Talk’ and ‘More than Words’ are often used in our early intervention program. ‘It takes Two to Talk’ is specifically designed for parents of children who are late talkers while ‘More Than Words’ is designed for parents of children with social communication challenges. We provide the HANEN training programs on a 1:1 basis and within parent groups. These programs include direct therapy between SLP and the child as well as a parent training component in which practice and feedback is central. In these programs parents gain valuable resources to build their children’s interaction and language skills within everyday routines and play!
You can learn more about the HANEN Center and programs here:
www.hanen.org