#strivetothrive

Speech sound cue cards are a game changer in apraxia therapy! �They give kids visual and metaphorical cues to help them build those tricky motor plan. i.e. 🐰 “rabbit sound” for /f/ (upper teeth on lower lip). Initially I pair the sound cue card with other sensory cues to support learning: 👀 Visual – Show the child how to make the sound by exaggerating your mouth movements. 🤚 Hand Cues – Use your hand like a puppet to mirror the movement. ✋ Tactile – Gently guide the child’s jaw, lips, or cheeks to help them feel the movement. 👄 Auditory/Verbal – Give clear directions or fun metaphors like “make the snake sound” for /s/. The more senses involved, the stronger the learning! 🌟 Follow along for more apraxia tips! Interested in more information and a link to these cards from @slp.madness? Comment CARD for the link. �#ApraxiaTherapy #ChildhoodApraxia #speechsounddisorders #soundcuecards #CAS

I love using dry erase markers and sound cue cards in my Apraxia therapy sessions as well as my articulation sessions. Many children benefit from multisensory cueing to help them produce the movements and sounds accurately. Follow along for more speech sound disorder therapy tips. Comment PML below for more information about principles of motor learning and a free handout. #articulationtherapy #speechsounddisorders #slpsofinstagram #PediatricSLP

Frequently, a parent reports to me, that their therapist told them that their child cannot be diagnosed with CAS because they are too young. Don’t worry about the child being too young to diagnose. CAS is diagnosed with a dynamic motor speech assessment which can be done earlier than 3 years of age. There’s no downside to using motor planning principles when you suspect apraxia of speech 💡 If a child truly has CAS and you’re using a language-based or articulation-based approach, you’ll likely see little to no progress 😕 — but the reverse isn’t true! 👶 Do you work with the early intervention population?�🎯 Want to feel more confident diagnosing suspected apraxia of speech? I’ve got you covered! My mini course ($29) walks you through my exact decision-making process for identifying suspected apraxia of speech. 🎥 If you already own my Treatment of Apraxia course, you’ll find it right inside your course portal. 💬 Here’s what your fellow SLPs are saying:�⭐️ “Excellent course. Very valuable information. The presenter was very engaging, and the video examples were very helpful.”�⭐️ “I truly enjoyed this course and started using the knowledge I gained in my clinic the next day.” 👇 Comment LEARN for course info! #suspectedapraxiaofspeech #principlesofmotorlearning #childhoodapraxiaofspeech #speechandlanguagetherapy #earlyinterventionspeech earlyintervention

When you are working with a child on articulation, and the child has CAS make sure to incorporate principles of motor learning. Bonus: If you use the child’s special interest for the practice of their target words, you will gain cooperation. Comment PML to receive more information and a free handout on principles of motor learning. #multisensorycueing #articulation #apraxitherapy #cas #pediatricspeechtherapy

What is overgeneralization in apraxia therapy? Overgeneralization happens when a child learns a new sound or syllable, and starts using it in place of other sounds / syllables. ✨ To help with generalization (the good kind!), we sometimes work on two words that start with the same sound but have different vowel sounds. This is called variable practice and it gives the motor speech system the challenge it needs to grow! 👦 But here’s the thing, whether we practice both words or just one depends on the child. Some kids can handle both words in a session, while others might feel confused or frustrated and that can slow progress. If it’s too difficult you can focus on generalizing, or almost generalizing one of the words, before adding a similar word. 📚 Apraxia therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s not a cookbook! Every child is different, and our approach should be too. 👇 Got questions about overgeneralization in apraxia therapy? Drop them in the comments, I’m here to help! Do you want to learn more about principles of motor learning, comment PML below! #speechsounddisorders #principlesofmotorlearning #motorspeechdisorders #apraxia apraxiaofspeech

I love this explanation that I provided to a parent about working on the movement in apraxia therapy. When a child would CAS omits the initial or final sound, this technique is extremely successful. Follow along for lots of evidence based apraxia therapy tips. #childhoodapraxiaofspeech #apraxiatherapy #cas #motorspeechdisorders #apraxiaofspeech

Sometimes when kids with CAS aren’t using words, it’s because they have difficulty initiating speech. When speech feels ‘stuck,’ reducing pressure can make a big difference. You can try: -Incorporating whole body movement (jumping, clapping, swinging) -Making sounds together so the child has help getting started -Using sound play (laughing, growling, silly noises) to keep it low-pressure and fun -Playing side-by-side instead of face-to-face to reduce the demand to speak The goal isn’t to push for words right away. It’s to make it easier for the child to start. These are the kind of shifts we focus on inside my Childhood Apraxia course — how to adjust your sessions so kids feel more supported in trying. 👉 Join the course through the link in my bio. #slplife #slpsofinstagram #speechtherapyideas #apraxiaofspeech #speechandlanguage

Don’t Skip the Vowels! SLPs, when assessing speech sound disorders, don’t overlook vowels! Vowel errors are more discriminative of Childhood Apraxia of Speech than consonant errors alone. If you skip assessing vowel production, you could be missing key diagnostic clues. Plus, vowel distortions have a huge impact on intelligibility. 🧠 Let’s make sure we’re catching what matters most. I have an impactful mini course called “Vowel Errors in Childhood Apraxia of Speech”. Learn how to asses and treat vowel errors and see progress with your clients. Complete the course and be eligible for .15 ASHA CEUs and 1.5 hours of PDH��Comment “VOWEL” and I’ll send you more info on my mini course “Vowel Distortions in Apraxia Therapy”! #SLPsofinstagram #ApraxiaAwareness #SpeechTherapyTips #PediatricSLP #SLPeeps ChildhoodApraxia SpeechSoundDisorders

✨ Variable practice is key for generalization in apraxia therapy! ✨ According to the principles of motor learning, introducing variability into your apraxia sessions is crucial. Here’s how you can switch things up: 😊 Vary prosody (intonation, stress, rhythm)�😊 Use words with different syllable shapes�😊 Practice more than one word or phrase within a block. 🌟 Bonus tip: Variability helps reduce overgeneralization!�For example, if a child practices a phrase like “I need” too often, they might produce “need” to often after the word “I”. To prevent this, switch it up regularly and help build true flexibility in speech motor planning! 💪 ⁉️ Have questions about the principles of motor learning? Drop them in the comments! 👇 Want a free handout and more info on motor learning? �Comment PML below and I’ll send it your way! #childhoodapraxiaofspeech #slpsofinstagram #pediatricspeechtherapy #principlesofmotorlearning #DTTC speechsounddisorders motorspeechdisorders

🔤 Vowel distortions are common in children with apraxia of speech. Vowel distortions significantly affect intelligibility. So much to talk about in this short clip. The initial /w/ sound is produced by producing /u/ and then the vowel following the /w/. ⬆️ This child is producing an /a/ sound as in pop, in place of the /ʌ/ as in up. First, look at the jaw movement. The /a/ sound is a low jaw sound and the neutral vowel /ʌ/ is produced with a high jaw position. We worked on that before this video. He responded well to the cue of “short sound” versus “long sound”. Giving him knowledge of performance, specific feedback, about what sound I heard him say, will help him produce the sound accurately. �Comment “VOWEL” and I’ll send you more info on vowels in apraxia therapy. #SLPsofinstagram #ApraxiaAwareness #SpeechTherapyTips #ChildhoodApraxia #SpeechSoundDisorders

Most standardized tests miss Childhood Apraxia. Not because they’re wrong, but because they only show part of the picture. In many articulation and phonology tests, a child says a word one time. So we miss things like: -How their speech changes across repeated attempts -Whether they do better with imitation -How cueing impacts their accuracy And those details matter. Whereas a dynamic speech assessment lets you see if motor planning is the real challenge. In my Childhood Apraxia course, I walk through how to conduct a dynamic speech assessment and then develop effective treatment plans. 👉 Join the course through the link in my bio. #slplife #slpsofinstagram #speechtherapyideas #apraxiaofspeech #childhoodapraxiaofspeech

This child is using the phonological pattern of fronting. He is producing a /t/ and /d/ for /k/ and /g/. For phonological pattern errors we use minimal pairs. However, all Speech is motor. We therefore have to make sure that the child is able to produce the sound before practicing it with minimal pairs. Using facilitative contacts can be very helpful in facilitating, correct production of your target sound. #pediatricspeechtherapy. #speechsounddisorders #apraxiatherapy #principlesofmotorlearning #slpsofinstagram