Motor Learning Guided Treatment with Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Cueing & Feedback

The aim of this study was to determine if participants with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) respond with improved speech production when provided motor learning guided (MLG) treatment strategies. Five participants chronological ages 4;8 to 5;10 years were provided three different types of treatment where cueing and feedback were systematically manipulated for six weeks. Treatment types included the following: verbal model with knowledge of performance feedback (VMKP) verbal model with knowledge of results feedback (VMKR) and visual model with knowledge of results feedback (KR). Each participant received 24 individual sessions lasting approximately 15 minutes each for a total of 360 minutes. Following VMKP treatment participants increased performance accuracy by an average of 13.4%. Following VMKR treatment participants increased performance accuracy by an average of 4.8%. Finally following KR treatment participants increased performance accuracy by an average of 16%. All three treatment types produced positive outcomes; however KR treatment resulted in the strongest positive outcome. The results of this study suggest that children with CAS may benefit from intervention where no verbal model is provided prior to speech practice and summary knowledge of results feedback is offered at intervals following 5 productions. Intervention in this study resulted in increased accuracy of speech performance and yielded optimal motor learning of those speech skills.