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- Kacy
- Woodson
- 6550 Sevenoaks Avenue
Baton Rouge
Louisiana
70806
United States - East Baton Rouge Parish School System
Baton Rouge
Louisiana
70806
United States
My treatment approach to CAS involves utilizing various types/levels of cueing supports for verbal production, such as visual, verbal, gestural, and tactile cues, in addition to signs and assistive technology devices. Treatment sessions incorporate targets that are salient for the child and the family and promote functional communication and success. Sessions incorporate a high number of repetitions to support motor learning of movement patterns and transitions as well as supporting aspects such as appropriate rate, stress, and intonation. Therapy sessions may involve drill-activities, play-based activities, or a number of other activities that a child finds motivating. If an AAC device is used, I provide simultaneous modeling on the device, paired with verbal productions to help support overall language and vocabulary development. The overall aim for therapy sessions is to provide supports to achieve communicative success and fade supports to transition to independence.
Children spend a vast majority of their time with parents and family members. They are the experts on the client and their involvement is imperative to success. I involve families from the start, beginning with the initial selection of targets. Gathering information on how a child is able to participate and function within the context of the family helps me select words that are functional and will help the family best as a whole. In the initial stages of generalization when a child has mastered the movement patterns, parents will be trained in ways to facilitate carry-over practice to the home environment. Carry-over practice can involve things like verbal and visual cues promoting self-cueing and correction of mastered movement patterns. If a child requires a low- or high-tech device for communication purposes, parents should also receive training in appropriately supporting total communication and honoring all communication attempts made by the child.
For children with any level of CAS or suspected CAS, I have utilized both low and high-tech AAC devices for support and facilitation. Providing models, either through sign, low-, mid-, or high-tech devices, while simultaneously verbalizing supports overall language and vocabulary development as well as communicative competence. For children that are learning to communicate it is imperative to honor all communication attempts and to provide as many modalities for communication as possible to ensure success. An important aspect of using AAC in children with CAS is explaining to parents/family/service providers that the AAC device does not keep them from improving verbal skills, rather it supports the acquisition. For some, the simple use of a low tech communication board or picture cards can be implemented to help support children when communication breaks down to prevent frustrations. These cards can be on a ring on a lanyard, placed throughout the classroom, or in a binder or PECS board. I have also used mid- and high-tech devices for children with significant impairments that struggle to be understood across contexts. These AAC devices can be used simultaneously with the paired speech to communicate the child's intended message while also promoting verbal practice.
