We're a speech therapy software company making evidence-based treatment for adults with stroke, brain injury, and other conditions more accessible.
👅 Apraxia made easy
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Patients with apraxia of speech (AOS) often have aphasia too. So they finally break through the word-finding wall ("I know the word I want!") only to hit a second one: motor planning. They know what they want to say, but the same word comes out three different ways – or not at all. Apraxia of speech is frustrating for your patients, and it can be intimidating to treat, but it's a lot more manageable with the right tools. 🧰 Quick Clinical Tips📋 The Apraxia of Speech Rating Scale (ASRS-3.5) is a free 13-item scale that notes the presence/absence of AOS features, as well as severity. This is a great alternative if you don't have access to the Apraxia Battery for Adults (ABA-2). 👄 Reminder about differential diagnosis: features like groping, trouble initiating, and self-correction show up in aphasia without apraxia too. The confirmation signs you need to watch for are:
📘 Duffy (2019) also notes that sequential motion rates (/pəˈtɑːkə/) tend to be harder than alternating rates (/pəpəpə/) for people with AOS. Want the deep dive? The What SLPs Need to Know: Apraxia of Speech article walks you through assessments, treatment options, and how to choose between them. Read it → 🏋 Motor Learning PrinciplesA few findings that are easy to forget in the moment:
If you want ready-to-go exercises guided by these principles, check out these treatments in the Virtual Rehab Center. 👇 Repeating Short Words, Repeating Long Words, and Repeating Phrases are articulatory-kinematic treatments, the most-researched approach for apraxia of speech, with support across all severity levels, including the chronic phase. Motor learning also requires a lot of repetition, and home practice can make all the difference. In the Virtual Rehab Center, you can assign unlimited home practice. This is included in your membership and free for your patients. 🙌 Plus, homework data is automatically collected for you, so you can see (and celebrate!) your patient's progress between sessions.
Apraxia takes patience, but the impact on your patient's quality of life can be huge. I hope a few of these ideas make your next session easier! All the best, P.S. Be sure to check out the apraxia treatment flowchart, patient education sheet, step-by-step integral stimulation guide, and more in the Virtual Rehab Center's Handout Vault, all part of your free 21-day trial! |
Tactus Therapy
We're a speech therapy software company making evidence-based treatment for adults with stroke, brain injury, and other conditions more accessible.
It's time for another resource round-up! Here are some of the most exciting things I've found related to medical speech-language pathology lately – plus a few that my team has created for you. 1. 🏥 Acute Care FOURC: UNC's Center for Aphasia and Related Disorders developed an Acute Care adaptation of their FOURC model – a free, collaborative framework for setting life-participation goals. Downloads include a goal rating scale, documentation template, visual supports, and more. 🎯 Need more...
A few weeks ago, I started answering a question I hear from lots of SLPs: "What do I actually *do* for cognitive therapy?" So far, we've covered executive function, attention, and the simple formula that ties it all together. Today, we'll tackle memory. 🐘 Memory: A Step-by-Step Guide The framework: 1️⃣ Pick a real thing your patient needs to remember in their everyday life 2️⃣ Choose the workaround: an internal strategy, external memory aid, or both 3️⃣ Use errorless learning: guide them to...
In today's world, written communication is a huge part of social participation. We text friends to grab coffee, send life updates via email, and post our thoughts, stories, and questions to social media. 📲 In fact, when researchers asked people with aphasia about writing, one said:"I think writing is everything." Participants also described writing as deeply tied to their confidence, independence, and staying connected with the people in their lives (Thiel & Conroy, 2022). Writing is...