Congratulations to Monica Malmgren, MS, CCC-SLP, for graduating from the Apraxia Kids Intensive Training Institute (Apraxia Boot Camp)!

After earning my Master of Science degree at Utah State University, I began my 27-year adventure as a Speech-Language Pathologist working with children in the private and public school settings. My passion is working with children with speech sound disorders and their families. I currently reside in Logan, Utah, nestled in the mountains of Cache Valley. When I am not working, I love hiking or reading a book under a tree in the backyard.

Monica offers services in Logan, Utah, United States.

Apraxia Kids: What are the top 3 things you learned from this training experience?
Monica: 1) The principles of Motor Learning. These principles guide my practice and have been invaluable in effecting change in children with CAS on my caseload.  2) The importance of moderating feedback types and frequencies and also being able to move fluidly along the hierarchy of cueing to keep children at the most challenging, yet achievable level.  3) Dynamic assessment. Implementing dynamic assessment in my students with suspected CAS has provided invaluable information in guiding therapy and developing functional targets for maximum growth in therapy.

Apraxia Kids: How did the boot camp experience change or expand your network of colleagues/friends?
Monica: I love that there is a group of people that I can go to with questions, and also to share my own insights with that have a shared base of knowledge.

Apraxia Kids: How have you implemented the knowledge you gained at boot camp?
Monica: The knowledge I have gained has not only changed the way I do therapy with children with CAS on my caseload, but with all the children who have speech sound disorders I work with. The principles of motor learning have made my therapy more effective and understanding the importance of implementing prosodic and linguistic components from early on has impacted my work, as well. I use much fewer targets now than ever before, and generalization has never been better.

Apraxia Kids: What is an example of how you have been able to (or plan to) use your expertise as a local resource/support for other professionals and/or families since attending the intensive training?
Monica: I would like to eventually provide a network between families with children with CAS, as there is nothing like that here in Cache Valley. I hope to be able to provide education for parents and families that will assist them not only during the time I may work with them, but also as they navigate the later educational years, when CAS can be more difficult for therapists in the public schools to diagnose and treat appropriately.

Apraxia Kids: What would you say to someone considering applying to boot camp next round?
Monica: What a wonderful opportunity to really go deep and learn invaluable skills as a therapist. As a Speech-Language Pathologist who has always been very interested in motor speech disorder, this was just the thing to keep my practice stimulating and to light a spark for my future career.