The Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol (K-SLP)

The Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol is a way of teaching children with apraxia of speech the easiest way of saying words until they have increased motor-speech coordination. They are actually taught the shell of words without including too many of the complex consonants, vowels, or syllables which make a word too difficult to even attempt on a motor basis. This teaching method is a reflection of how young children attempt “first words.” For example, the word “bottle” may begin as “ba,” progress to “baba,” later becomes “bado,” and eventually, “bottle.” From the very beginning of infant speech, there are very few “whole” words pronounced. The K-SLP gives children of all ages a way to attempt difficult words using word approximations, and refining and reinforcing these attempts toward whole target words and phrases. It is a systematic approach and one that has been an extremely beneficial, logical, and an efficient way to tackle developmental apraxia of speech. Other methods are also integrated in the K-SLP that have been successful with adults who have lost the ability to speak. Many of these techniques have to do with the way in which the child learns cues to remind them how to say the word. The combination of these techniques comprise the Kaufman method!

What can parents, friends, and family
do to help the child with apraxia of speech?

► To read Nancy's article about her methods, The "Successive Approximation" Method of Therapy for Children with Apraxia of Speech , on the Apraxia-Kids/Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America (CASANA) website, click here.