Therapy for CAS should focus on strengthening motor planning and programming for speech, and be based on the Principles of Motor Learning. I provide therapy using a number of techniques to best support each individual child based on their priorities and specific skills and needs. I primarily use evidence-based treatment including Dynamic Temporal Tactile Cueing (DTTC), developed by Dr. Edythe Strand Ph, D.CCC-SLP, and PROMPTs for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phoneme Targets (PROMPT) to support motor learning with specific kinesthetic tactile and multisensory cues. Treatment of CAS focuses on neural mapping for the movements, rather than sounds in speech production, so it may look different from “traditional articulation therapy” in terms of the amount and type of practice (higher!) and types of cues (specific and movement based!). Effective CAS therapy in my book looks at the child as a whole, and helps them to become “communication risk-takers,” as Cari Ebert would say. It’s important to me that parents and children, if they’re old enough, understand why we need to practice so much, or “play and say” so often, so that we can help not only create lasting motor change, but feel more empowered, and less frustrated when trying to communicate across all kinds of settings. I have not met a child with CAS that wasn’t extremely bright in their own way, and didn’t know what they wanted to say. I try to help empower them to make their brains more efficient and getting their message out. I do this with highly motivating, quickly moving play and activities that provide opportunities for a LOT of motor practice. We focus on proprioception (e.g. “What did that feel like? Did you feel your tongue get tight and pointy behind your teeth for /l/?”) with lots of specific, positive reinforcement, that helps them figure out HOW to tell their mouths how to move, to get the right sounds out. Speech is so incredibly complex that this is not an easy task, but my job is to help make it easier for them by giving them tools and practice, in a fun engaging way.