Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Differential Diagnosis & Treatment

CPD

Handouts

Speaker

Amy Skinder-Meredith, Ph.D., CCC-SLP Related seminars and products

Clinical Associate Professor

Washington State University

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Amy Skinder-Meredith, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, received her doctorate from the University of Washington and her M.S. from the University of Arizona. She is an associate clinical professor at Washington State University in Spokane. She is an experienced clinician who has worked in the public school, hospital, and private practice settings. Her primary clinical and research interest is in children with motor speech disorders, and she has published and presented her research on childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) at national conferences. She is investigating the phonological awareness and early reading skills of children with CAS and developing treatment efficacy studies for various CAS treatment techniques Dr. Skinder-Meredith has given numerous workshops for practicing speech-language pathologists across the country on assessment and treatment of CAS.

Speaker Disclosures: 

Financial: Amy Skinder-Meredith is employed by Washington State University.  She receives a speaking honorarium and royalties from the Childhood Apraxia Association of North America.  She receives a speaking honorarium from SpeechPathology.com.  She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc.  She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Amy Skinder-Meredith is on the professional advisory board for the Childhood Apraxia Association of North America and Speechpathology.com. 
 

Objectives

• List three key characteristics of CAS.
• Differentially diagnose apraxia of speech from phonologic delay, dysarthria, and other communication disorders that can result in speech delay.
• Explain two of the motor learning principles and how they apply to treatment of children with CAS.
• Implement treatment for children with CAS using Dynamic Tactile and Temporal Cuing.
• Incorporate phonemic and phonological awareness into motor speech therapy.
• Know how to adapt curriculum materials for children who are unintelligible.

Outline

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS): An Overview

• Developmental motor speech disorders
• Model of speech production
• Different beliefs on the underlying nature of CAS
• Characteristics of CAS
• Video and audio examples

Evaluating CAS

• The pitfalls of misdiagnosis
• Differentiate from other causes of speech disorders
• Assessment techniques designed to differently diagnose
• Phonologic impairment versus CAS versus dysarthria
• Determine the relative contribution of apraxia, phonologic impairment, dysarthria, cognition, and language to the child’s communication disorder
• Video case examples and discussion

Principles of Motor Learning and How it Applies to Treatment of CAS

• Precursors to motor learning
• Conditions of practice
• Practice variability
• Types of feedback

Treatment of CAS

• Key principles that are the most important to the treatment
• Clinical decision making in treatment and treatment planning
• Examples of various bottom-up therapy techniques
• Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC)
• Treatment for the non-verbal child
• Data collection and documenting progress

Incorporate Phonological Awareness and Early Literacy Skills

• Key elements to address that will improve both phonological awareness and speech
• Adaptive tools that are easy to use for teaching phonological awareness, speech, literacy, and language
• Benefits of intensive therapy summer camp models that address motor speech, phonological awareness, early literacy skills, and language

Target Audience

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