AAC in Apraxia Therapy

A common question that I am asked is, how I incorporate AAC in my apraxia therapy sessions?

The approach will differ for each child and will also vary depending on whether you are the only speech therapist working with the child or if your primary goal is to enhance verbal communication through motor speech therapy.

The majority of children I work with, seek motor speech therapy, and they receive services from another SLP to work on their AAC usage and language skills. Therefore, in my sessions I generally focus on apraxia therapy and the speech generating device (SGD) is primarily utilized as a tool to support the child.

If a child can communicate verbally, utilizing an SGD device often enables them to express more than they can verbally. For instance, a child who can speak single words may be able to form phrases on their SGD. Moreover, children with apraxia of speech, even if they can verbally produce phrases, may face challenges with motor planning skills and find it more effective to communicate using their SGD.

If a child has limited verbal communication skills, we focus on both aspects! I assist the child by demonstrating words and phrases on the SGD while encouraging verbal expression. Our approach aims to enhance both communication and verbal skills effectively. 

Let me dispel one popular myth:

There are no pre-requisites for a child to start using a SGD!  The child does not need to start by using picture communication! We need to presume competence and offer the child a system with a robust vocabulary. 

Often, when I bring up the topic of using AAC, parents mention that their child has already tried it but showed no interest. Based on my experience, this lack of interest could be attributed to how the previous clinician introduced the child to the SGD. Many clinicians tend to focus on using it for "work" rather than for enjoyment. By incorporating fun activities like blowing bubbles, playing with play dough, or using car ramps, I assure you that the child will find the device engaging.

Click here to watch video demonstrations of using SGD to improve a child's communication skills while having fun at the same time.

Are you following me on instagram? Click here to follow me for lots of evidenced based treatment information for childhood apraxia of speech.

I have always been a fan of using AAC in my apraxia sessions. However, I lacked confidence when initiating the first conversation with a parent, and I certainly did not feel sure about providing recommendations or assisting the parent in selecting the right app.

Along came a great course called AAC in Early Intervention from Early and Bright. I jumped at the opportunity to learn more and feel confident having those discussions and making those decisions.  Look at the amazing curriculum below.

The course instructor, Lauren Greenlief @inspireconnections, is easy to listen to and covers a lot of ground in this 2 hour course.  

The first step, when approaching a parent about AAC for their child, is to educate the parent about the benefits of AAC and to dispel the myths.  An amazing handbook is included with lots of handouts that you can give to parents to educate them about the benefits of AAC. 

Since taking this course I feel more confident opening up discussions with parents and guiding them through the process. When Laura from @earlyandbright, reached out to me to be an affiliate, I immediately said yes. Click here to learn more about this great course.