3 Therapy Techniques for Targeting Apraxia

If you’re a clinician working with a patient with apraxia, it can be difficult to know where to start. If you’re not sure, try one of these three evidence-based therapy techniques and associated tips.

Total Communication: Use a total communication approach to facilitate functional communication for your client, while targeting articulation of speech skills. This may include:

• No-tech communication tools: gesturing and pointing
• Low-tech (augmentative) communication tools: pen and paper, a whiteboard or pictures
• High-tech (augmentative) communication tools: text-to-speech apps, communication apps, Lingraphica SmallTalk apps, and Lingraphica AAC devices. Lingraphica AAC devices are specially customized to meet the client’s individual communication needs.

Articulatory-Kinematic: Use a multi-modality approach to practice articulation of speech skills. This may include:

• Articulatory placement cues, e.g., tongue tip up to the alveolar ridge to produce /t, d. n, l/. The description, combined with both visual and auditory cues, like the ones provided in the SmallTalk video apps for oral-motor exercises and phonemes, can be helpful.
• Visual and auditory feedback from modeling in front of a mirror, or video recording and then watching and listening to productions may also assist in improving articulation precision.
• Tactile-kinesthetic cues, like the ones used in the PROMPT method; utilize touch to manually guide the client through a targeted word, phrase or sentence

Rate Control and Timing Approaches: Incorporate rhythm into speech to help with articulation skills. This may include:

• Finger tapping or finger counting while speaking may help the speaker to slow down, relax and break the word or sentence into smaller, easier-to-produce sections.
• Singing or choral reading techniques may make it easier for the speaker to complete a sentence or produce a phrase.
• Metronomic pacing, or computer pacing, like the “Oral Reading for Language in Aphasia with Virtual Therapist” (ORLA) program, may also provide pacing cues that help the speaker improve articulation skills.