{"id":312,"date":"2013-08-10T16:58:49","date_gmt":"2013-08-10T22:58:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/speechchick.com\/?p=312"},"modified":"2013-08-14T16:38:05","modified_gmt":"2013-08-14T22:38:05","slug":"a-systematic-approach-to-viewing-and-treating-apraxia-of-speech-part-seven-keeping-it-functional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/speechchick.com\/?p=312","title":{"rendered":"A Systematic Approach to Viewing and Treating Apraxia of Speech: Part Seven – Keeping it Functional"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part Seven: Keeping it Functional<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Throughout my posts I have demonstrated a simple and systematic way to view and treat apraxia of speech.\u00a0 One of the main points of this approach is that you only need to focus on practicing movement patterns and they will generalize to words, phrase, sentences, and ultimately conversational speech.\u00a0 This is a great approach because it is simple and systematic (two things that I love in speech therapy).\u00a0 Focusing on movement patterns is not only simple for you the therapist, but is also simple for apraxic kids who often just need to be shown how to focus on one part of a word at a time to be successful.\u00a0 When they can focus on perfecting the individual movements, then the overall combined movements become easier and easier.\u00a0 However, there is one downfall to this approach and that is its functionality.<\/p>\n

If you spend a whole session drilling the \/m\/ sound in vowel-consonant movement patterns (um, im, am, om, etc.) that is not as functional as helping the child say (no, I, go, bye, etc.).\u00a0 The \/m\/ movement patterns may not be usable in functional speech right away.\u00a0 Some therapists and parents want their kids working on learning things they can use right away in a functional way \u2013 and I totally agree with this.\u00a0 Speech therapy HAS to be functional otherwise it is inappropriate (in my opinion).\u00a0 So, how do you use a systematic and simple approach and make it functional.<\/p>\n

In order to accomplish this I like to divide my therapy sessions into two segments.\u00a0 A drill portion and a play portion.\u00a0 My drill portion often looks like what you may call a \u201cmassed practice\u201d.\u00a0 This is where I usually choose one phoneme\/sound and one movement pattern to focus on (ex. \/p\/ in consonant-vowel movement patterns).\u00a0 If my client is much further along in therapy and can move quickly through the targets I will advance them to targeting multiple phonemes\/sounds in one movement pattern (ex. fricatives in consonant-vowel movement patterns).\u00a0 We practice these targets many, many times during the drill portion of the session.\u00a0 I typically shoot for hundreds of repetitions depending on the child\u2019s focus and compliance.\u00a0 I use games, toys, and other techniques to push the child to practice the targets and I usually require multiple trials (at least 10) before earning a turn or toy.\u00a0 You want the child to practice the targets many times \u2013 so that they will be able to remember and repeat the target later.\u00a0 I use the sustained phonation technique when teaching these targets and provide a great deal of visual, auditory, and tactile support to ensure that the targets are being produced correctly.\u00a0 I then try to speed up the target and reduce the amount of support with each production.\u00a0 My goal is for the child to be successful<\/strong> and independent<\/strong> when producing the target.<\/p>\n

The next portion of my therapy sessions looks like a play portion.\u00a0 During this portion of my sessions I usually like to just play with the client.\u00a0 I usually come up with a few specific target words or phrases that contain the phoneme\/sound and\/or movement pattern we just practiced \u2013 but in a functional word or phrase.\u00a0 I then try to model the words\/phrases during the free play as much as possible.\u00a0 I try to keep my verbal utterances around or slightly above the level of the child\u2019s.\u00a0 I offer help (visual, auditory, or tactile support) when the child attempts to imitate the functional words\/phrases I produced.\u00a0 I keep this portion of the session more light-hearted.\u00a0 I let the child lead more, and guide what we are going to do.\u00a0 I want them to feel that it is an environment where they can attempt to communicate and not be so overwhelmed.\u00a0 I want them to feel successful.\u00a0 I want them to realize that communicating (even if it is only a sound or two) can have meaning and can help them get their wants\/needs met.<\/p>\n

I believe that both the drill portion and the play \/portion of the sessions are important.\u00a0 The drill portion is specific, it helps the child learn the movements in a very simple, slow, and systematic way.\u00a0 The play portion is more free, it helps the child learn how to incorporate the things they learn in the drill portion into their everyday life.\u00a0 I have found that using a drill portion and a play portion in my therapy sessions, combined with the movement pattern generalization theory and the sustained phonation modeling technique \u2013 that I have had a great deal of success with many of my severely apraxic clients.<\/p>\n

** For more information about my systematic approach to viewing and treating apraxia of speech remember to FOLLOW ME on my 7 post journey. \u00a0Please add your comments, suggestions, and thoughts so that we can work together to conquer apraxia of speech!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part Seven: Keeping it Functional Throughout my posts I have demonstrated a simple and systematic way to view and treat apraxia of speech.\u00a0 One of the main points of this approach is that you only need to focus on practicing movement patterns and they will generalize to words, phrase, sentences, and ultimately conversational speech.\u00a0 This […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[54,55,34],"class_list":["post-312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-apraxia-of-speech","tag-functional-communication","tag-speech-therapy"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/speechchick.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/speechchick.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/speechchick.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/speechchick.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/speechchick.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=312"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/speechchick.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":339,"href":"https:\/\/speechchick.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312\/revisions\/339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/speechchick.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/speechchick.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/speechchick.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}