The Source For Childhood Apraxia
The Source For Childhood Apraxia
The Source For Childhood Apraxia
Strode
Catherine E. Chamberlain
Skill: Apraxia
Ages: 2 through 12
Grades: PreK through 7th
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 3 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Table of Contents, continued
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 4 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Foreword
Our goal in writing this book is to provide information and support to parents, families, therapists, educators,
physicians, and others who care for and work with children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. The purpose
of this book is to organize information in order to share current research and what we’ve learned in our many
years of working with children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech.
Introduction
The strategies in The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech incorporate components identified as important
in the treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech as referenced by the American Speech-Hearing-Language
Association (ASHA) and the Childhood Apraxia of Speech Assocation of North America (CASANA).
These components are listed below.
1. Conduct a thorough evaluation of communication and related skills. Address the needs of the whole
child, including health, motor, and sensory concerns as well as communication skills.
2. Establish basic skills needed for success in therapy such as joint attention and interaction.
3. Use child-centered therapy building on the child’s current skills.
4. Use an effective therapy approach by:
• using principles of motor learning for development of speech skills
• emphasizing speech movements and syllable shapes
• using appropriate cues and prompts to ensure success including multisensory cues
• providing appropriate feedback to verbal attempts
• applying meaning and functionality to speech practice targets
• providing frequent and consistent therapy
5. Use augmentative communication systems as needed as a bridge to speech.
6. Target prosody skills along with speech skills in therapy.
7. Target language skills as needed—receptive, expressive, pragmatics, narrative, and discourse.
8. Extend speech and language practice to the home and community settings.
9. Facilitate literacy, academics, and other learning skills.
Numerous professional references used in developing this book are listed on pages 179–183.
We hope you find the information and techniques in this book helpful as you work with children
with apraxia.
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 5 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 3A
Parent Interview Form
Child’s Name ____________________________________________ Date _____________________
Birthdate ____________________ Informant _____________________________
Parent(s) Name(s) _________________________________________
Address _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Home Phone ______________________ Work Phone ______________________
Cell Phone ______________________ Other Phone ______________________
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 36 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 3A, continued
28. Does your child play and communicate well with his/her friends and family? yes no
If no, please describe.
29. Does your child seem to understand most of what you say or tell him/her to do? yes no
30. Does your child have difficulty following directions? yes no
If yes, please describe.
31. How many words does your child now use? 0-20 20-50 100-150 150-200 more than 200
32. If your child uses phrases and sentences, how long are they on average?
2 words 3 words 4 words 5 words longer than 5 words
33. Does your child (check yes or no for each) yes no
ask questions to gain information....................................................
understand vocabulary ......................................................................
use age-appropriate vocabulary ........................................................
stay on subject in a conversation......................................................
take turns when talking to someone................................................
describe and explain ..........................................................................
answer questions ................................................................................
have difficulty putting words together into a sentence ................
leave words out of sentences............................................................
use correct grammar such as plurals, verb tenses, pronouns ......
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 37 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 3A, continued
40. Is your child receiving special help with learning skills? yes no
If yes, please explain.
41. Do you have concerns about your child’s learning skills? yes no
If yes, please explain.
Behavior
50. Does your child typically display any of the following behaviors? (Circle all that apply.)
reduced or lack of interaction with others difficulty staying on task
tantrums difficulty finishing tasks
passive in interactions sensitive
very active angry/acting out behavior
underactive frustrated
inattentive shy
refuses to perform tasks
Other Information
51. Who does your child live with? (Circle all that apply.)
both parents grandparents
mother only foster parents
father only other ___________________________
parent + stepparent
52. Are languages other than English spoken in the home? yes no
If yes, please list.
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 38 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 3A, continued
53. Has your child had a previous speech-language evaluation? yes no
If yes, please list date(s) and results.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
54. Has your child had previous speech-language therapy? yes no
If yes, please list dates, setting(s), and therapist(s).
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
55. If your child had speech-language therapy, what kind of progress did your child make?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Were you pleased with your child’s progress? yes no
Please explain.
56. Has your child been evaluated by any other professional? (Circle all that apply.)
occupational therapist (OT) educator/teacher
physical therapist (PT) geneticist
neurologist physician
developmental pediatrician (specialist) other ___________________________
psychologist/psychiatrist
57. Does your child have a diagnosis from any of the above professionals? yes no
If yes, please list date, professional, and diagnosis for each.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
58. What other concerns do you have about your child?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
59. What do you consider to be your child’s greatest strengths?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
60. What do you hope to gain from this evaluation?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 39 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 3B
joint interaction
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Appendix 3B, continued
7. Verbalizations observed (Circle all that apply.)
spontaneously produced elicited imitated
8. Did the child resist or refuse speech imitation or production? yes no
9. List specific sounds, syllables, words, phrases/sentences elicited from the child.
sounds
syllables
words
phrases/sentences
____________________________________________________________________________________________
10. What pragmatic skills did the child exhibit? (Circle for nonverbal and underline for verbal.)
greeting repairing
requesting selecting a topic
commenting maintaining a topic
rejecting/refusing/protesting narrative
questioning other ____________________________
11. Did the child speak more freely in one setting or with a specific person? yes no
If yes, please explain.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Evaluation Results
List tests, findings, and observations.
Articulation/Phonology Tests and Results
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phonetic inventory (Circle all sounds spontaneously used by the child.)
vowels: long a e i o u
short a e i o u
consonants: p b m w t d n f v k g
h s z sh ch j y l r th
Sounds the child is stimulable for (Circle all that are stimulable.)
vowels: long a e i o u
short a e i o u
consonants: p b m w t d n f v k g
h s z sh ch j y l r th
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 41 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 3B, continued
Syllable Combinations
reduplicated CVCV (same C and V; e.g., mama)
CVCV (same C, different V; e.g., puppy)
CVCV (same V, different C; e.g., pogo)
CVCV (various C, V; e.g., happy)
Consonant-V
Vowel-C
Consonant Words
CVC with same C in both positions of word (e.g., pop)
CVC with different C in each position (e.g., pot)
Multisyllabic Words
two-syllable
three-syllable
four or more syllables
Connected Words
two-word utterances
phrases
sentences
Consistency of productions (Describe the effect of having the child repeat the same word several times, particularly words with
more than one syllable or with blends.)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sample of conversational speech (List speech sounds used and an estimate of general intelligibility.)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 42 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 3B, continued
Prosody (Circle areas of difficulty.)
rate loudness
intonational contours appropriate syllable or word stress
pitch
Oral mechanism (Circle areas of concern.)
mandible lingual frenulum teeth
lips hard palate occlusion
tongue soft palate tonsils
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 43 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 3B, continued
Did the child demonstrate age-appropriate fine and gross motor skills? yes no
If no, list concerns.
Did the child attend well for his/her age? yes no
If no, list concerns.
Did the parent feel that the speech and language behaviors exhibited by the child on this date were characteristic of the child’s
usual performance? yes no
If no, please explain.
Referrals/Follow-up
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Statement of Findings
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 44 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5A
The pages are in order of development, beginning with the earliest-developing sounds.
/p, b, m/
/w, y/
/f, v/
/t, d, n/
/k, g, h/
/s, z/
/sh, ch, j/
/l, r, th/
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Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Pp
Practice saying the /p/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember to
put your lips together and pop the air out as you make this sound.
p p p p p p p p
pa pe pi po pu ap ep ip op up
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Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Bb
Practice saying the /b/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember to
put your lips together and pop the air out as you make this sound. Use voicing.
b b b b b b b b
ba be bi bo bu ab eb ib ob ub
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 75 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Mm
Practice saying the /m/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember
to close your lips and keep the air going as you make this sound. Use voicing.
m m m m m m m m
ma me mi mo mu am em im om um
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Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Ww
Ww
Practice saying the /w/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember
to round your lips and keep the air going as you make this sound. Use voicing.
w w w w w w w w
wa we wi wo wu
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 77 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Yy
Practice saying the /y/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember to
smile, pull your tongue back, and glide the air as you make this sound. Use voicing.
y y y y y y y y
ya ye yi yo yu
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 78 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Ff
Ff
Practice saying the /f/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember to
gently bite your lip and keep the air going as you make this sound.
f f f f f f f f
fa fe fi fo fu af ef if of uf
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 79 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Vv
Vv
Practice saying the /v/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember to
gently bite your lip and keep the air going as you make this sound. Use voicing.
v v v v v v v v
va ve vi vo vu av ev iv ov uv
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 80 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Tt
Tt
Practice saying the /t/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember to
put your tongue up behind your teeth and pop the air out as you make this sound.
t t t t t t t t
ta te ti to tu at et it ot ut
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Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Dd
Dd
Practice saying the /d/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember to
put your tongue up behind your teeth and pop the air out as you make this sound. Use voicing.
d d d d d d d d
da de di do du ad ed id od ud
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 82 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Nn
Nn
Practice saying the /n/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember to
put your tongue up behind your teeth and keep the air going as you make this sound. Use voicing.
n n n n n n n n
na ne ni no nu an en in on un
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Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Kk
Kk
Practice saying the /k/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember to
open your mouth slightly, pull your tongue back, and pop the air as you make this sound.
k k k k k k k k
ka ke ki ko ku ak ek ik ok uk
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 84 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Gg
Gg
Practice saying the /g/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember to
open your mouth slightly, pull your tongue back, and pop the air out as you make this sound. Use
voicing.
g g g g g g g g
ga ge gi go gu ag eg ig og ug
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Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Hh
Hh
Practice saying the /h/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember to
open your mouth and push the air out as you make this sound.
h h h h h h h h
ha he hi ho hu
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 86 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Ss
Ss
Practice saying the /s/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember to
put your teeth together, smile slightly, put the front of your tongue up (or down), and keep the air
going as you make this sound.
s s s s s s s s
sa se si so su as es is os us
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 87 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Zz
Zz
Practice saying the /z/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember to
put your teeth together, smile slightly, put the front of your tongue up (or down), and keep the air
going as you make this sound. Use voicing.
z z z z z z z z
za ze zi zo zu az ez iz oz uz
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 88 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
SH sh
SH sh
Practice saying the /sh/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember
to round your lips, put the front of your tongue up (or down), and keep the air going as you make
this sound.
sh sh sh sh sh sh sh sh
sha she shi sho shu ash esh ish osh ush
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Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
CH ch
CH ch
Practice saying the /ch/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember
to round your lips, put the front of your tongue up, and pop out the air as you make this sound.
ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch
cha che chi cho chu ach ech ich och uch
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 90 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5A, continued
Jj Name _____________________________
Jj
Practice saying the /j/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember to
round your lips, put the front of your tongue up, and pop out the air as you make this sound. Use
voicing.
j j j j j j j j
ja je ji jo ju aj ej ij oj uj
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 91 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Ll
Ll
Practice saying the /l/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember to
open your mouth, put your tongue up behind your teeth, and glide the air out as you make this
sound. Use voicing.
l l l l l l l l
la le li lo lu al el il ol ul
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Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
Rr
Rr
Practice saying the /r/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember to
open your mouth and pull your tongue back and up as you keep this sound going. Use voicing.
r r r r r r r r
ra re ri ro ru ar er ir or ur
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Appendix 5A, continued
Name _____________________________
TH th
TH th
Practice saying the /th/ sound where checked below. Practice each one 2 to 4 times. Remember
to place your tongue between your teeth and keep the air going as you make this sound. It can be
produced with or without voicing.
th th th th th th th th
tha the thi tho thu ath eth ith oth uth
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 94 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5A, continued
initial /p/
final /p/
cap up map
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /b/
final /b/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /m/
final /m/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /w/
initial /y/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /f/
final /f/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /v/
final /v/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /t/
final /t/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /d/
final /d/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /n/
final /n/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /k/
final /k/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /g/
final /g/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /h/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /s/
final /s/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /z/
final /z/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /sh/
final /sh/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /ch/
final /ch/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /j/
final /j/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /l/
final /l/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /r/
final /r/
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Appendix 5A, continued
initial /th/
final /th/
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Appendix 5A, continued
2-syllable words
3-syllable words
4-syllable words
CV, VC syllables
sentences
phoneme
isolation
phrases
blends
Date Comments
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 115 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5B
2. Determine the sequence of the presentation of the cues and prompts that are most effective in promoting
the child’s success.
3. Once the child is consistently successful producing the speech target, begin to gradually fade the number
and types of cues.
4. Continue to decrease cues and prompts until just a visual cue (e.g., picture, letter, written word) is all that is
needed to cue production of the speech target.
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 116 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5B, continued
• Gestural prompt: The adult points, gestures, pantomimes, or demonstrates for the child.
• Manual sign: Use the sign alphabet to prompt production of a target sound in isolation
(e.g., using the sign for s to prompt the child to produce /s/ sounds). Signs can be produced
close to the face to assure that the child focuses on the oral cues.
• Vowel turtles (See pages 121-122 in this appendix.)
• Mirror
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 117 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5B, continued
P B M
p b m
T D K
t d k
G F V
g f v
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 118 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5B, continued
H L R
h l r
N SH CH
n sh ch
J S Z
j s z
W Y
w y
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Appendix 5B, continued
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 120 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5B, continued
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 121 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5B, continued
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 122 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5C
Not all direct techniques listed under a sound group must be used. Select the ones that facilitate the child’s
articulator placement for the target speech sound. Generally repeat each technique three times. Be sure to
position the child correctly and apply techniques symmetrically to both sides of the face, jaw, lips, and tongue.
When the child can produce the target speech sound voluntarily with consistency, direct techniques may be faded.
Not all of the direct oral-motor facilitation techniques are described under each sound group. The starred (*)
techniques are described and illustrated on pages 133–138. Position the child appropriately for oral-motor
facilitation and speech activities. Make sure there is proper alignment between the hip-shoulder-head-neck
with the head held upright and in midline. The mouth should be open in a neutral position with the chin
slightly tucked and the tongue in the mouth.
To make oral-motor facilitation easier, make an oral-motor therapy equipment box that contains all the
necessary supplies. Suggested materials:
Clean oral-motor equipment well. Use an antibacterial soap and rinse well or clean with rubbing alcohol.
Some items may be cleaned in the dishwasher on the top shelf. Wear gloves and wash well when working
on the child’s face or in the mouth. Check the child for latex allergies before using gloves.
For children who have difficulty producing /p, b, m/, or /w/, use the following direct techniques. Each of the
techniques for facilitating sound placement are appropriate to facilitate /p, b/, and /m/. Techniques 4 through
6 are appropriate to facilitate /w/.
1. To increase sensory awareness of lip contact, rub the contact surfaces of the upper and lower lip with
texture (e.g., washcloth, toothbrush) or a cotton swab dipped in mouthwash.
2. Put a washcloth, straw, or a tongue depressor flat between the child’s lips. Have him resist as you gently
attempt to pull it out. Make sure the object is between the lips only, not the child’s teeth.
3. Have the child briefly suck on ice cubes or a Popsicle.
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Appendix 5C, continued
4. Do bunny nose*, V-pressure*, mustache press*, lip stroke*, pucker resistance*, and/or smile resistance*
exercises. ( pages 134–135)
5. Apply sustained blowing activities*. (Note: Use larger straws or plastic aquarium tubing to facilitate lip
rounding for /w/.) ( page 138)
6. Apply resistive sucking activities*. ( page 138)
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 124 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5C, continued
6. Put a thin cocktail straw or coffee stirrer horizontally behind the child’s front teeth (i.e., side-to-side, not
front-to-back). Have him hold it there for a count of 10, using only the front of his tongue. Don’t let
him close down his jaw to hold the straw.
7. Place a sticky food on the child’s alveolar ridge. Have him lick it off with the front and tip of his
tongue using a front-to-back motion rather than a sucking motion.
2. Facilitate a central groove in the midline of the tongue to get tongue placement and proper airflow.
The central groove is needed for passage of the air stream. When the air stream is absent or reduced,
the child omits the /s/ or /z/ or substitutes a stop, a lateral production, or a frontal production.
a. Use central groove stroke* and/or central groove tap* exercises. ( page 135)
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 125 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5C, continued
b. Put a thin straw, a flat blunt toothpick, or a coffee stirrer on the front quarter of the central
groove of the child’s tongue. Have the child produce a sustained /s/ with the object on the
central groove. Slowly pull the object out as the child continues to blow air and produce the
sound.
3. Facilitate elevation of the tongue tip and sides. An elevated tongue tip with a central groove and
front opening for airflow is needed, although some children may be more successful with the tongue
tip depressed. Without elevation of the sides of the tongue, the sound may be produced as a stop or
with lateralized airflow.
a. To increase sensory awareness, use your gloved finger or texture (e.g., pretzel, washcloth, Infa-
dent, Toothette) to rub the alveolus and the tongue where contact is made between the two.
b. Stroke each side of the tip of the tongue. Begin at the center of the tip and stroke one quarter
of the way back on each side of the tongue. Then stroke each top side of the tongue along the
edges from the tip to the back.
c. Do tongue tip press: in* and/or tongue tip press: down* exercises. ( page 136)
d. Do tongue side press: in*. Repeat and have the child push back with his tongue (resistance).
( page 137)
e. Do tongue side press: down*. Repeat as the child attempts to push up (resistance). ( page 137)
f. Place a sticky food such as peanut butter, jelly, icing from a tube, or marshmallow cream on the
center of the child’s alveolus and have him lick it off, using the front and tip of his tongue to
lick from front to back.
4. Counteract excessive tongue protrusion (frontal lisp). The tongue needs to be retracted behind the
central incisors.
a. Apply jaw techniques* as needed. ( page 134)
b. Apply central groove techniques*. ( page 135)
c. Use tongue stroke* along with tongue tip and side elevation techniques* as described above
( pages 136 and 137). Stroke the tongue on the midline from the center to the tip. ( page 138)
d. Grasp the child’s tongue with a washcloth, pull it forward, briefly hold it, and then release it.
e. Elevate the child’s tongue and briefly vibrate on either side of the lingual frenum.
f. Do resistive sucking through a straw*. Put the straw on the front central groove (midline of the
tongue) when drinking. The child’s tongue should be in his mouth, not protruded. Use a tart
drink such as lemonade or cranberry juice to facilitate tongue retraction. ( page 138)
5. Counteract lateral emission of airflow (lateralized production). The sides of the tongue must be
elevated and there must be a central groove for airflow for a non-lateralized strident production.
a. Apply jaw techniques* as needed. ( page 134)
b. Apply central groove techniques*. In a lateral production, the air tends to flow over the sides
of the tongue rather than down the central groove. ( page 135)
c. Apply tongue tip and side elevation techniques*. Emphasize elevation of the sides of the
tongue. ( pages 136–137 )
d. Use a bite block* during speech to stabilize the jaw and maintain mouth opening without
shifting or excessive opening of the jaw. ( page 134)
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Appendix 5C, continued
6. Facilitate respiration/breath support for speech. Without appropriate air support for speech, the
strident may become an omission or stop, and there may be cluster or syllabication reduction.
a. Use gross motor activities to prepare the body, such as hopping or jumping.
b. Position the child with the head, neck, and hips in alignment. ( page 133)
c. Do blowing activities* that require sustained breath. ( page 138)
d. The child may lie on his stomach, propped on his elbows during speech production. ( page 133)
e. Have the child produce sustained vowels, a continuous vowel sequence, or sustained vowels
gliding into a strident production (e.g., “eeesss”).
f. Push into the child’s diaphragm as he produces the strident sound.
g. Do exercises that facilitate breath control such as jumping, bouncing, running, sit-ups, or yoga.
h. Have the child lie facedown over a large therapy ball. Hold the child at the hips. Push into the
ball as you bounce him.
2. Facilitate a central groove in the midline of the tongue to get tongue placement and proper airflow.
This is needed for the passage of the airstream. When it is absent or reduced, the child produces the
strident frontally, laterally, omits it, or substitutes a stop for it.
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 127 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5C, continued
3. Facilitate elevation of the tongue tip and sides and spreading of the tongue. An elevated tongue tip
with a central groove and front opening for airflow is needed. Without spreading and elevation of
the sides of the tongue, the production may be a stop, a frontal production, or a lateral production.
a. To increase sensory awareness, stroke the top sides of the tongue from the tip to the back,
first stroking one side, then the other.
b. Do tongue tip press: in*, tongue tip press: down*, and/or tongue tip press: lateral* exercises.
( page 136)
c. Do tongue side press: in*. Repeat and have the child push back with his tongue (resistance).
( page 137 )
d. Do tongue side press: down.* Push down as the child attempts to push up (resistance).
Don’t let him use his head to help. ( page 137 )
e. Do tongue spread* exercise. ( page 137 )
f. Encourage elevation of the back sides of the tongue using techniques a, b, and c.
5. Counteract lateral emission of airflow (lateralized production). The sides of the tongue must be elevated
and there must be a central groove for airflow for a non-lateralized strident production. If the child
lateralizes a palatal sound, work on increased lip rounding, central groove of the tongue, elevation of
the lateral margins of the tongue, and jaw position and stability.
a. Apply jaw resistance techniques*. ( page 134)
b. Apply central groove techniques*. In a lateral production, the air tends to flow over the sides
of the tongue rather than down the central groove. ( page 135)
c. Apply tongue tip and side elevation techniques. Emphasize elevation of the sides of the
tongue. ( pages 136–137 )
d. Use a bite block* during speech to stabilize the jaw and maintain jaw opening without shifting
or excessive opening. Apply other jaw stability and control techniques as needed. ( page 134)
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 128 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5C, continued
7. Facilitate respiration/air support for /sh, ch/, and /j/. Without appropriate air support for speech,
a stop sound may be substituted for the strident or the strident may be omitted.
a. Use gross motor movement activities to prepare the body such as jumping, hopping, and
dancing.
b. Do blowing activities* that require sustained breath. ( page 138)
c. Have the child lie on his stomach, propped on his elbows during speech production. ( page 133)
d. Produce sustained vowels, a continuous vowel sequence, or sustained vowels gliding into a
strident production (e.g., “iiiish”).
e. Push into the child’s diaphragm as he produces the strident sound.
f. Do exercises that facilitate breath control such as jumping, bouncing, running, or sit-ups.
g. Have the child lie facedown over a large therapy ball. Hold the child at the hips. Push into the
ball as you bounce him.
h. Make sure the child’s head, neck, and hips are in alignment. ( page 133)
8. If the child uses a stop for a continuant, work on placement of the sides of the tongue, airflow, and the
central groove and opening at the front of the tongue.
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 129 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5C, continued
3. Use your finger to apply deep pressure to the tongue front and tip in a series of quick taps.
4. Do tongue tip press: down*, tongue tip press: lateral*, tongue stroke*, and/or tongue tip elevation*
exercises. ( pages 136 and 138)
5. Press down on the top of the front of the child’s tongue at the center with your finger. Slowly lift your
finger and ask the child to follow it with his tongue.
6. Hold a sucker, pretzel, carrot stick, celery stick, tongue blade, or Popsicle upright in front of the child’s
mouth. Have the child use his tongue to lick from the bottom to the top of the object without moving
his head. Repeat, providing proprioceptive input by pulling down on the object as the child licks up.
7. Put a thin cocktail straw or coffee stirrer horizontally (i.e., side-to-side, not front-to-back) behind the
child’s front teeth. Have him hold it there for a count of 10, using only the front of his tongue. Don’t
let the child close down his jaw to hold the straw. You can also place the straw on the central groove
of the child’s tongue and have him hold it against the alveolus.
8. Place a small amount of a sticky food such as peanut butter, jelly, or marshmallow cream on the center
of the child’s alveolus and palate. Have the child use the front of his tongue to lick from the alveolus
back to the palate.
9. If the child is using lip rounding (which encourages substitution of /w/), have him smile slightly.
You can also do techniques that encourage lip retraction such as stroking the lips from the center
to the corners. Begin with words or syllables that contain the vowel “eee” (e.g., leak, leap, believe)
that facilitate lip retraction.
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Appendix 5C, continued
3. Facilitate tongue retraction. The child’s tongue should be pulled back with the back lateral margins
elevated.
a. Using a gloved finger, a cotton swab dipped in mouthwash, a washcloth, an Infa-dent, or a
Toothette, stroke the sides of the child’s tongue and the upper molars and gums. Then have the
child raise his tongue so the sides are in contact with the sides of the molars. Have him slowly
slide his tongue back, maintaining contact between the sides of the tongue and the molars.
b. Have the child gently bite the sides of his tongue between his molars as he slides his tongue
back.
c. Put a tongue depressor into the tip of the child’s tongue. Push the tongue straight back for the
/er/. You can also put the depressor under the front of the child’s tongue and push back and
slightly up.
d. Touch the back of the child’s head at the base of his skull as he retracts his tongue. You can
also gently pull the child’s hair back at the base of his skull. These techniques give tactile
information about tongue retraction.
4. Facilitate elevation of the back and sides of the tongue and spreading of the tongue.
a. To increase sensory awareness, use a gloved finger, a cotton swab dipped in mouthwash, a
washcloth, an Infa-dent, or a Toothette to stroke the sides of the tongue and the upper molars
and gums where contact is made.
b. Do tongue side press: in*. Repeat and have the child push against your finger with his tongue
(resistance). ( page 137 )
c. Do tongue side press: down*. Repeat and have the child push up against your finger with his
tongue (resistance). ( page 137 )
d. Do tongue base press* and/or tongue spread* exercises. ( page 137 )
5. Facilitate a central groove in the midline of the tongue to get tongue placement with the back sides
elevated so that the tongue is spoon-shaped.
a. Do central groove stroke* exercise. ( page 135)
b. Do central groove tap* exercise. ( page 135)
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 131 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5C, continued
7. If the child is substituting /w/ for /r/, encourage lip spreading rather than rounding.
a. Apply manual vibration* using slow vibration to the face. Slow vibration will reduce facial
tension. ( page 133)
b. Stroke the child’s lips from the corners to the center, then shake the center gently to reduce lip
tension.
c. Use a lip-spread vowel such as “ee” to precede the /r/ (e.g., ear, deer, here).
d. Use a smile and elongate the /r/ sound.
e. Use a mirror to monitor lip position.
Consonant Blends
Apply appropriate techniques from pages 123-132 to facilitate the consonant sounds in the blends.
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 132 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5C, continued
Positioning
It’s important to give the speech mechanism a stable base.
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 133 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5C, continued
5. jaw cupping
Have the child cup his chin between the palms of both hands with his fingers
along his jaw and his thumbs along or behind the angle of the mandible.
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 134 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5C, continued
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 135 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5C, continued
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 136 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5C, continued
3. tongue spread
Place a standard-size dental floss holder
between the child’s molars. Have the child
spread his tongue so its sides touch the sides
of the dental floss holder.
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 137 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 5C, continued
Resistive Sucking
Sucking increases lip closure, lip strength, graded jaw closure and stability, and
use of the cheek muscles.
Make sure the child holds the straw with her lips, not her teeth. Encourage a
stronger suck by using straws of various widths or shapes or twisted aquarium
tubing. Use thicker drinking substances for greater sucking strength. Partially
freeze drinks in plastic bottles. Have the child put her lips around the bottle
and suck.
Sustained Blowing
Blowing facilitates lip closure and rounding, facial tone, graded jaw
positioning and movements, and breath support for speech.
Gradiate the tasks by using blowing items or activities that require greater or
lesser air flow, lip strength, lip contact, lip rounding, and jaw opening. Make
sure the child holds the item for blowing with her lips, not her teeth. Use
items such as:
• blowing toys (any toy that primarily uses blowing like horns or whistles)
• beach balls (child blows it up)
• sound makers (harmonica, whistle)
• paper party blowers that roll up
• bubbles (wands, bubble pipes, straws, flexible tubing like aquarium tubing)
• small plastic balls (child blows them around with air directly from her mouth or by using a straw)
• straws of different widths and shapes
• two-liter bottles (child puts her lips around the top and blows into it)
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 138 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.
Appendix 7A
Remember that these are the averages of when children begin using these skills. Typically-developing children
develop some of these skills at earlier ages and some at later ages. Receptive language skills typically are higher
than expressive language skills—children understand more than they can tell.
2 years old
• cognitive skills
✓ object permanence (knowing that objects exist even when they are out of sight)
✓ ends-means and causality (knowing that actions have results)
✓ tool use (e.g., using a mallet on pegs, using a spoon when eating)
• play skills
✓ functional use of objects (e.g., brushing hair with a brush)
✓ one scheme or action type per object (e.g., pushing a toy truck or hugging a doll)
✓ several schemes per object (e.g., hugging a doll, covering up the doll)
✓ using two objects together in play (e.g., putting blocks in a truck and pushing the truck)
✓ acting out simple themes the child has experienced (e.g., setting a table with toy dishes)
• communication skills
✓ using first words around 12 months of age, about 50 words by age 2
✓ putting two words together at 19 to 24 months
✓ often have a burst in speaking vocabulary and use of two-word utterances when the child is
using about 50 words
✓ concepts the child understands include in, on, off, out, up, down, hot, wet, dirty, yucky, pretty, loud,
one, all, and all gone
3 years old
• cognitive and play skills
✓ reproduces in play what he/she sees and experiences, which extends and practices his/her
cognitive knowledge
✓ uses props (e.g., dress-up clothes, dishes) to play in scenarios (e.g., Mommy making dinner)
✓ plays games with simple rules (e.g., Hide-and-Seek)
• communication skills
✓ understands around 1000 to 2000 words and says over 1000 words
✓ using 3 to 5 words in a sentence
✓ concepts the child understands include under, over, on top, top/bottom, next to/beside, front/back,
around, high/low, big/little, hard/soft, same/not same, heavy, empty/full, fast/slow, and sticky
✓ matches colors
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Appendix 7A, continued
✓ knows one or more colors
✓ counts three objects
✓ 80% of his/her speech is understandable to people outside his/her family
4 years old
• play skills
✓ demonstrates creative and imaginative play
✓ plays board games
• cognitive skills
✓ begins to classify
✓ puts things in order (e.g., largest to smallest)
✓ understands time
✓ understands that quantity stays the same no matter the size of the container
• communication skills
✓ understands 1500-2000 words and uses up to 1500 words
✓ typical sentences are 4 to 6 words in length and are fairly complete in structure and form
✓ uses possession, plurals, some verb tenses, pronouns, question words, and words like is, can,
and will
✓ concepts the child understands include middle, first/last, above/below, large/small, heavy/light,
rough/smooth, loud/soft, tall/short, long/short, like/not alike, same/different, sharp/dull, each, and
one more than
✓ counts objects to 5
✓ most of his/her speech is understandable to people outside his/her family, although there
still may be difficulty saying the /l, r, th, s/ sounds.
5-6 years old
• play skills
✓ plays table games and complicated floor games
✓ plans and builds constructively
✓ plays cooperatively with others in a group
• cognitive skills
✓ continues to refine and expand cognitive skills
• communication
✓ understands around 2500-2800 words and uses 2500 words
✓ typical sentences are 5 to 7 words in length
✓ uses pronouns, verb tenses, articles, and various sentence types, although errors are
occasionally present
✓ concepts the child understands include comparative adjectives (e.g., tall-taller, to, of, between, in
order, before, after, and number concepts)
✓ speech is fully intelligible, although occasional errors are present
The Source for Childhood Apraxia of Speech 177 Copyright © 2006 LinguiSystems, Inc.