A Computer Software Prototype for Monitoring Speech Motor Learning Performance in (Childhood) Apraxia of Speech (Technical Report)

2007

Many treatment programs incorporate principles of motor learning when working with individuals with motor speech disorders (e.g., childhood apraxia of speech, adult apraxia of speech). These principles often involve practice and include accurate, repetitive, random, and distributed practice. When treating these individuals, clinicians are faced with the difficult task of maintaining the practice principles of motor learning and monitoring performance. In motor learning focused therapy, clinicians must simultaneously manage the stimuli, cueing hierarchy, data collection, and levels of accuracy?all while incorporating the principles of repetitive, random and distributed practice. The purpose of this article is to describe a computer software prototype developed for clinical use to monitor and evaluate the extent and consistency with which principles of motor learning are implemented in treatment. The software uses the following measures to evaluate performance: Percent Target Correct, Percent Task Correct, Task Count, Set Size, Diversity, and Cueing. Results from use of the software with a child diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) are illustrated.

Peer-reviewed publications in scholarly journals Published/In Press

Consumers/Families, Professionals, Students

N/A