Motor-programming Approach

If one understands CAS as a disorder of the speech motor system, then guidance for treatment can be found in understanding motor programming/planning tenets. Again, each child with CAS will have their own individual profile and will have different needs at different points in their development as competent speakers and communicators. Clinicians will still need to determine what contribution motor speech deficits have in the child’s overall speech difficulty as well as address other potential language and communication deficits. Overall, methods that employ a motor programming approach will:

• Provide frequent and intensive practice of speech targets
• Focus on the actual skill being trained (accurate speech movement)
• Include enhanced external sensory input (not just auditory, but also visual, tactile, cognitive cues for speech production)
• Give careful consideration to types of practice (random vs. blocked practice of target items)
• Provide appropriate feedback (knowledge of results or knowledge of performance