Lauren Gurtman, MA, CCC-SLP, is a certified orofacial myologist and CranioSacral therapist with nearly 30 years of experience. She specializes in the treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), providing evidence-based, individualized therapy. Lauren is PROMPT-certified, trained in Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC), and skilled in incorporating REST techniques. Additionally, she integrates sensory-based interventions to optimize learning outcomes and supports families with comprehensive home practice strategies. Lauren is also passionate about integrating canine assisted therapy and she has 3 certified therapy dogs.

Lauren’s therapy is rooted in the principles of Motor Learning, designed to maximize gains in motor planning and speech generalization. Therapy is structured into pre-practice, practice, and review stages with an emphasis on high levels of repetition and careful target selection. Sessions are intentionally crafted to incorporate:

1. Sensory Integration for Optimal Regulation:
Each session begins with whole-body sensory activities tailored to the child’s sensory needs. Using tools like swings, balls, balance beams, and scooter boards, she provides vestibular and proprioceptive input to either calm or stimulate the child’s sensory system, creating the ideal state for learning.

2. Motor Speech Techniques:
Lauren employs an eclectic approach combining PROMPT, multisensory cueing, and DTTC, with additional guidance from her training in REST. She focuses on variability, prosody, and progressive reduction of cueing as motor plans stabilize, ultimately facilitating generalization.

3. Greenspan Floortime Foundation:
Lauren’s ability to engage and motivate children is drawn from her training in Greenspan Floortime and studies with Pamela Marshalla. Her dynamic, playful approach encourages participation and fosters trust, ensuring children feel supported throughout their therapy journey.

4. Feedback and Practice Schedules:
During early pre-practice stages, she incorporates mass practice, transitioning to distributed practice over time. Feedback is continuously adjusted to suit the child’s learning stage, helping them achieve new motor speech plans while minimizing habituation of old patterns.

With nearly three decades of experience, Lauren combines expertise in CAS, sensory integration, and parent education to create individualized, effective therapy plans. Her tactile and proprioceptive cueing methods empower children to develop and generalize motor speech sequences beyond the therapy room. Parents value her personalized, transparent approach and dedication to helping each child achieve their fullest communication potential.