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Tactile cueing

This method of cueing provides direct articulatory placement of the individual speaking to correct their speech production. The SLP touches the individual’s face, neck, and head to provide a speech movement gesture.

Visual cueing

This method provides visual cues such as simple hands signs or visual feedback such as using a mirror. Another visual cue to give is pictures or an electronic device such as an AAC device.

​​Script Training

This is a functional approach to that is used to assist verbal communication. Script training allows the individual with AOS to practice expressing about the topics that they are interested in and that are relevant to their life. Topics to have a conversation about are chosen by the patient. The phrases that are verbally spoken during the training are practiced multiple times so that they become apart of the patient’s automatic speech. These phrases are then used during conversation at the end of the treatment so that the patient can practice on the fluency (Youmans, Youmans, & Hancock, 2011).

Sound Production Treatment (SPT)

This treatment is used to improve the individual’s production of consonants. It uses a treatment hierarchy that incorporates modeling and repetition of minimal-contrast word pairs. Cues such as phonemic, visual, and tactile are used throughout the treatment following the cueing hierarchy. Examples of this cueing is articulatory placement, graphemic cues, or writing the word on a white board. The cueing hierarchy uses modeling and imitation of minimal-contrast word pairs

Rhythmic Pacing

This strategy uses various rate control techniques to help pace speech production. This includes hand or finger tapping and use of a pacing board (Brendel, & Ziegler, 2008).

Contrastive Stress

This treatment is used to improve the individual’s ability to produce speech with varying intonation contours in target phrases or sentences. This is used by placing a stress on a particular word in a phrase or sentence with. This varying stress also changes the meaning of a sentence due to the intonation being used (Wambaugh, Nessler, Cameron & Mauszycki, 2012).

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

AAC involves using symbols by supplementing or replacing natural speech or writing. For example, picture communication, speech-generating devices, tangible objects, manual signs, gestures, and finger spelling. It is important to determine the individual’s willingness to us aided symbols that requires some type of transmission device. An example of aided symbols would be an AAC device and an example of unaided symbols requires only body movements (Lasker, & Bedrosian, 2001).

Brendel, B., & Ziegler, W. (2008). Effectiveness of metrical pacing in the treatment of apraxia of speech. Aphasiology, 22, 77–102.

Lasker, J. P., & Bedrosian, J. L. (2001). Promoting acceptance of augmentative and alternative communication by adults with acquired communication disorders. Augmentative and Alternative Communication 17, 141–153.

Wambaugh, J., Nessler, C., Cameron, R., & Mauszycki, S. (2012). Acquired Apraxia of Speech: The Effects of Repeated Practice and Rate/Rhythm Control Treatments on Sound Production Accuracy. American Journal Of Speech-Language Pathology, 21(2). doi: 10.1044/1058-0360(2011/11-0102)

Youmans, G., Youmans, S. R., & Hancock, A. B. (2011). Script training treatment for adults with apraxia of speech. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20, 23–37.