This
innovative tactile-sensory approach to speech therapy uses therapy tools to train and transition muscle
movements for speech production. Learn how 40 highly motivating motor activities can be used to improve
phonation, resonation, and speech clarity. Interactive, hands-on demonstrations will focus on therapeutically
sound techniques to develop oral-motor movements for improved speech
clarity. Muscles of the abdomen,
velum, jaw, lips, and tongue will be discussed within the parameters of movements necessary for speech
production. Developmentally appropriate motor movements for speech are therapeutically targeted using highly
motivating techniques appropriate for children and adults.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Appropriately assess oral placement/feeding/speech problems based on muscle systems.
2. Integrate hierarchies for motor dissociation and grading (jaw-lips-tongue).
3. Plan programs of therapeutic intervention to address physiological and motor-based speech disorders.
4. Appropriately apply at least 10 new therapy techniques.
5. Learn to use oral placement techniques to improve individual speech clarity and production.

In this 2-day presentation, Renee Roy Hill will discuss treatment of clients diagnosed with apraxia of speech
and related motor speech disorders. Many of these clients do not respond to the traditional auditory and
visually-based motor speech techniques often because other co-existing issues, including oral sensory
deficits, feeding deficits, and oral placement deficits, are not addressed making differential diagnosis an
important assessment component. Renee demonstrates how OPT activities, which utilize a tactile approach,
in conjunction with auditory and visually-based apraxia therapy techniques will improve speech clarity for
clients with the diagnosis of apraxia.
The course will: 1) Discuss goals related to treatment of apraxia of speech and related motor speech
disorders; 2) Define childhood apraxia of speech along with subsequent motor speech impairments that may
also be present; 3) Provide participants with an understanding of when a muscle-based approach is
appropriate in a treatment plan; 4) Discuss sensory, feeding and motor issues as related to children with a
diagnosis of apraxia of speech and other motor speech disorders; 5) Teach how oral placement activities
through structured repetition improve muscle skill and teach muscle memory; 6) Teach how using a multi-
sensory tactile approach is used with clients to transition from OPT to facilitate speech production; and 7)
Provide strategies for planning and implementing a multi-modality motor speech program.

Course to be confirmed based on indication of interest