Nancy Kaufman's K-SLP treatment materials began with the Kaufman Speech Praxis Test, which helps SLPs determine which vowels, consonants, and syllable shapes are within the child’s repertoire, and to provide a systematic plan of care.

The additional materials help those with childhood apraxia of speech combine vowels and consonants to form the simple syllable shapes, progress on to more complex words, and to combine words to formulate expressive language for effective vocal/verbal communication.

K-SLP materials are sold online by Northern Speech Services. Click on a product below to learn more, watch instructional videos, and purchase.

BY KAITLYN STEELE, MA, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist

Winter is a great time to focus on your child’s speech and language practice at home. Here are some fun and simple activities to try during the cold months to keep your child’s skills in top form.

SING A SONG

Whether it’s working on articulation goals, or just finding one target word that your child can practice, using songs to foster speech skills is fun and engaging. It might even give your child the opportunity to feel more confident with their speech skills if you’re alongside them singing the same tune. Sing as a family, build it into a daily routine, or perform it in your own living room as a family choir concert.

BAKE UP SOME FUN

Pull up a chair for your little one and teach some new vocabulary in a fun, hands-on way. Think of common nouns such as “spatula,” “timer,” “oven,” and “frosting” or action words like “mix,” “pour,” “roll,” and “bake.” Recipes work well for practicing sequencing and memory recall. Model as you go. Use words such as “first,” “then,” and “last” and discuss the steps of how to bake cookies. After you’re done, help your child to recall what you did and tell a brief narration of the activity. This can be geared to any level by practicing just one word at a time or full sentences.

MYSTERY BOX

Wrap a box in leftover wrapping paper and leaving a small opening big enough for your child to reach into the box. Gather items from around the house that highlight winter vocabulary, including winter clothing and food items (gloves, hat, scarf, marshmallow, cookie). Put the items in your mystery box and as your child takes out an item, discuss what it is, what it’s used for and where you find it. Work on different phrases such as, I found a _____ (for labeling); what’s in the box? (for questions); or take out _____ (for simple requests).

CRAFTS, GAMES, & BOOKS

Bargain hunt or borrow a fun game, such as Don’t Break the Ice, and as you take turns, practice your child’s speech homework together. Check the library for winter books that teach seasonal vocabulary and are fun to read. Cut out snowflakes with colorful paper and write your child’s speech words on them as your child says them, or fill a bowl with “snow” (cotton balls) and hide the words on pieces of paper to dig out.

These activities should help you feel equipped on that unexpected snow day or that frigid weekend spent indoors.

K-SLP References & Bibliography

NANCY R. KAUFMAN, MA, CCC-SLP

The following works influenced the creation of the Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol
(listed alphabetically by author name)

CLICK HERE FOR K-SLP RESEARCH AND OTHER RESOURCES

THE VERBAL BEHAVIOR APPROACH: HOW TO TEACH CHILDREN WITH
AUTISM AND RELATED DISORDERS
(Publication, 2007)
Barbera & Rasmussen
Jessica Kingsley Publishers: London 

BJOREM SPEECH SOUND CUES
(Materials)
Bjorem, J.
bjorem-speech.myshopify.com 

BRIDGING NEUROSCIENCE TO CLINICAL SKILLS IN CAS AND
OTHER SPEECH SOUND DISORDERS
(Presentation, 2013)
Burns & Kaufman
American Speech-Language-Hearing Convention
Chicago IL 

THE SPEECH-EZ APRAXIA PROGRAM
(Materials)
Carahaly, L.
speech-ez.com

INCREASING THE VOCAL RESPONSES OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES USING MANUAL SIGN MAND TRAINING
AND PROMPT DELAY
(Publication, 2010)
Carbone, Sweeney-Kerwin, Attanasio, & Kasper
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
43(4), 705-709

EARLY PHONETIC AND PHONOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH
(Presentation, 2012)
Caspari & Overby
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association National Convention
Atlanta, GA & San Diego, CA 

APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS (2nd ED.)
(Publication, 2007)
Cooper, Heron, & Heward
Pearson/Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ

NATURE AND NURTURE IN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: ANATOMICAL
AND FUNCTIONAL BRAIN-IMAGING STUDIES IN INFANTS
(Publication, 2006)
Dehaene-Lambertz, Hertz-Pannier, & Dubois
Trends in Neurosciences
29(7) 367-373

CLINICAL APPLICATION OF SPEECH INTELLIGIBILITY RESEARCH:
THE RIVER STREET AUTISM PROGRAM AT COLTSVILLE
(Publication, 2009)
Dyer, K.
Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis
3, 140-153

THE SLP’S GUIDE TO TREATING CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH
(Publication, 2018)
Ebert, C. and Hammer, D.
Speech Corner: Chandler, AZ

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRODUCTION FREQUENCY IN THERAPY FOR
CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH
(Publication, 2011)
Edeal & Gildersleeve-Neumann
American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
20, 95-110

EFFECT OF TUTOR MODELED SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATIONS VERSUS
TUTOR MODELED ADULT FORMS TO IMPROVE TOPOGRAPHY OF TACTS
(Presentation, 2006)
Eldridge, Kasper, & Godwin
International Convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis
Atlanta, GA 

VOCAL TRAINING PROCEDURES: A REVIEW OF BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH
(Presentation, 2014)
Esch, B.
National Autism Conference
Pennsylvania State University, PA 

HERE'S HOW TO TREAT CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH
(Publication, 2011)
Fish, M.
Plural Publishing: San Diego, CA

TREATING CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH WITH THE KAUFMAN SPEECH
TO LANGUAGE PROTOCOL: A PHASE I PILOT STUDY
(Publication, 2018)
Gomez, McCabe, Jakielski, & Purcell
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools
January 1, 2018, 1-13

PROMPT METHOD Hayden, D.
(Materials)
promptinstitute.com

MELODIC INTONATION THERAPY
(Publication, 1989)
Helm-Estabrooks, Nicholas, & Morgan
Pro-Ed, Inc.: Austin, TX

EFFICACY OF THE KAUFMAN APPROACH IN INCREASING SPEECH OUTPUT
WITH A LOW-VERBAL CHILD WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
(Presentation, 2013)
Holbrook, King, & Pelayo
Department of Communication Sciences
& Disorders Graduate Symposium
Loma Linda University, CA 

IMITATION, EMPATHY, AND MIRROR NEURONS
(Publication, 2009)
Iacoboni, M.
Annual Review of Psychology
60(1), 653-670

A PARENT GUIDE TO VERBAL DYSPRAXIA
(Publication, 2000)
Jelm, J.
Janelle Publications, Inc.: DeKalb, IL

THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMITATION IN INFANCY
(Publication, 2009)
Jones, S.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
364(1528), 2325-2335

CORTICAL THICKNESS IN CHILDREN RECEIVING INTENSIVE THERAPY
FOR IDIOPATHIC APRAXIA OF SPEECH
(Publication, 2014)
Kadis, Goshulak, Namasivayam, Pukonen, Kroll, Namasivayam, & Pang
Brain Topography,
January 1, 2014, 27, 2, 240-247

PROGRESSIVE AND SYSTEMATIC SPEECH AND LANGUAGE TRAINING FOR
CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM - E133
(Online course, 2015)
Kasper, T. (Online course, 2015)
Northern Speech Services, northernspeech.com

CHILDREN WHO STRUGGLE TO SPEAK? MOTIVATE, SIGN, CUE, & SCRIPT!
(Presentation, 2012)
Kasper & Kaufman
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association National Convention
Atlanta, GA 

IMPROVING VOCAL VERBAL BEHAVIOR VIA TUTOR-MODELED
SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATIONS
(Presentation, 2003)
Kasper & Godwin
International Convention Association for Behavior Analysis
San Francisco, CA 

USING PHONETIC HAND CUES TO PROMOTE SPEECH PRODUCTION SKILLS
IN CHILDREN WITH LIMITED VOCAL REPERTOIRES
(Presentation, 2018)
Kasper & Slim-Topdijan
Women in Behavior Analysis Conference
Nashville, TN 

EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH:
THE KAUFMAN K-SLP METHODS AND BEHAVIORAL STRATEGIES TO
BUILD VOCAL COMMUNICATION - E266
(Online course, 2020)
Kaufman, N.
Northern Speech Services, northernspeech.com

DIAGNOSING DEVELOPMENTAL VERBAL DYSPRAXIA: TEST DESIGN,
THEORY, AND PSYCHOMETRIC EVALUATION
(Publication, 1988
Kaufman & Colquitt
The New Zealand Speech-Language Therapists’ Journal
43, 23-28

COLLABORATING TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS WITH COMMUNICATION
IMPAIRMENTS
(Publication, 2006)
Koenig & Gerenser
SLP-ABA: The Journal of Speech and Language Pathology &
Applied Behavior Analysis
1(1), 2-10

EARLY LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: CRACKING THE SPEECH CODE
(Publication, 2004)
Kuhl, P.
Nature Reviews Neuroscience
5, 831-843

WHO’S TALKING?
(Publication, 2011)
Kuhl, P. K.
Science
333(6042), 529-530

REPROGRAMMING THE CEREBRAL CORTEX: PLASTICITY FOLLOWING
CENTRAL AND PERIPHERAL LESIONS
(Publication, 2006)
Lomber & Eggermont
Oxford University Press: Oxford

DEMYSTIFYING THE PRINCIPLES OF MOTOR LEARNING IN SPEECH THERAPY
(Online course, 2013)
Maas, E.
Apraxia Kids, apraxia-kids.com

PRINCIPLES OF MOTOR LEARNING IN TREATMENT OF MOTOR SPEECH DISORDERS
(Publication, 2008)
Maas, E.
American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
17(3), 277-298

BANG FOR YOUR BUCK: A SINGLE-CASE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN STUDY
OF PRACTICE AMOUNT AND DISTRIBUTION IN TREATMENT FOR
CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH
(Publication, 2019)
Maas, Gildersleeve-Neumann, Jakielski, Kovacs, Stoekel, Vradelis, & Welsh
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research: JSLHR
January 1, 2019, 1-23

BEHAVIORAL PRINCIPLES IN COMMUNICATIVE DISORDERS:
APPLICATIONS TO ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT
(Publication, 2016)
Maul, Findley, & Adams
San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing

CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES OF BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS
(Publication, 1993)
Michael, J.
Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis: Kalamazoo, MI

ESTABLISHING OPERATIONS AND THE MAND
(Publication, 1988)
Michael, J.
Analysis of Verbal Behavior
6, 3-9

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF CHILDREN WITH SUSPECTED
CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH
(Publication, 2015)
Murray, McCabe, Heard, & Ballard
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
58, 43-60

DATA-DRIVEN CARE PATHWAY FOR CHILDREN OVER 36 MONTHS OF
AGE WITH MOTOR SPEECH DISORDERS
(Presentation, 2022)
Namasivayam, Pukonen, & Van Lieshout
International Conference on Speech Motor Control
Groningen, the Netherlands 

DATA-DRIVEN TREATMENT PATHWAY FOR CHILDREN WITH
MOTOR SPEECH DISORDERS
(Presentation, 2023)
Namasivayam, A. K.
IX ABRAPRAXIA National Conference
on Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Sao Paulo, Brazil 

EFFECTIVENESS OF KAUFMAN SPEECH TO LANGUAGE PROTOCOL FOR
CHILDREN WITH CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH AND COMORBIDITIES
(Presentation, 2023)
Namasivayam, Branham, & Grover
Apraxia Kids National Conference
Plano, TX 

KAUFMAN SPEECH TO LANGUAGE PROTOCOL FOR CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH
(Poster, 2024)
Namasivayam, Branham, Cheung, & Grover
Speech-Language & Audiology Canada 2024 Conference
Vancouver, BC, Canada 

KAUFMAN SPEECH TO LANGUAGE PROTOCOL FOR CHILDREN WITH
CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH: PHASE II DATA
(Presentation, 2023)
Namasivayam, Branham, Atputhajeyam, Lysenko, Cai, Elsayed, & Grover
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention
Boston, MA 

WHAT PREDICTS FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION OUTCOMES IN
CHILDREN WITH CAS AND SPEECH MOTOR DELAY
(Presentation, 2023)
Namasivayam, Shin, Nisenbaum, Pukonen, Sue, Choy, & van Lieshout
Apraxia Kids National Conference
Plano, TX 

INTENSIVE CAS SUMMER PROGRAM: BOOST OR BUST?
(Poster, 2013)
Nancarrow, Kaufman, & Ficker
American Speech-Language-Hearing Convention
Chicago, IL

SHAPING SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATIONS FOR SPEECH INTELLIGIBILITY:
EFFECT UPON LANGUAGE
(Presentation, 2009)
Nancarrow, Kaufman, & Burns
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA 

MELODIC INTONATION THERAPY: SHARED INSIGHTS ON HOW IT IS
DONE AND WHY IT MIGHT HELP
(Publication, 2009)
Norton, Zipse, Marchina, & Schlaug
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
1169, 431–436

ULTRASOUND BIOFEEDBACK TREATMENT FOR PERSISTING
CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH
(Publication, 2013)
Preston, Brick, & Landi
American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
22, 4, 627-643

MIRRORS IN THE MIND
(Publication, 2006)
Rizzolatti, Fogassi, & Gallese
Scientific American
295(5), 54-61

TREATING APRAXIA OF SPEECH IN ADULTS: THE DISORDER AND
ITS MANAGEMENT
(Publication, 1984)
Rosenbek, J.
Grune & Stratton: Orlando, FL

TALKTOOLS™ SPEECH TOOLS
(Materials)
Rosenfeld-Johnson, S.
talktools.com

ORAL PLACEMENT THERAPY FOR SPEECH CLARITY AND FEEDING
(Publication, 2009)
Rosenfeld-Johnson, S.
Talk Tools Therapy: Charleston, SC

TAKING YOUR CLIENT WITH ASD FROM NON-VOCAL TO VERBAL
(Online course, 2012)
Roy-Hill & Solomon
(Previously titled: Systematic approach to teaching speech to non-vocal individuals with autism)
TalkTools, talktools.com

A LITTLE MORE CONVERSATION, A LITTLE LESS ACTION:
CANDIDATE ROLES FOR THE MOTOR CORTEX IN SPEECH PERCEPTION
(Publication, 2009)
Scott, McGettigan, & Eisner
Nature Reviews Neuroscience
10(4), 295-302

ENCODING, MEMORY, AND TRANSCODING DEFICITS IN
CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH
(Publication, 2012)
Shriberg, Lohmeier, Strand, & Jakelski
Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics
26(5), 445-482

DIAGNOSTIC SIGNS OF CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH IN IDIOPATHIC,
NEUROGENIC, AND COMPLEX NEURODEVELOPMENT CONTEXTS
(Presentation, 2012)
Shriberg, Strand, & Jakelski
Conference on Motor Speech: Motor Speech Disorders & Speech Motor Control
Santa Rosa, CA

VERBAL BEHAVIOR
(Publication, 1957)
Skinner, B.F.
Appleton-Century-Crofts: New York, NY

APHASIA REHABILITATION RESULTING FROM MELODIC INTONATION THERAPY
(Publication, 1974)
Sparks, Helm & Albert
Cortex
10(4), 303-316

EASY DOES IT® FOR APRAXIA AND MOTOR PLANNING
(Materials, 1994)
Strode, & Chamberlain
linguisystems.com

TEACHING LANGUAGE TO CHILDREN WITH AUTISM OR OTHER
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
(Publication, 1998)
Sundberg & Partington
Behavior Analysts, Inc.: Pleasant Hill, CA

IMPROVING THE SPEECH PRODUCTION OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
(Presentation, 2006)
Sweeney, Zecchin, Carbone, Janeckey, Draper, & McCarthy
Association for Behavior Analysis Conference
Atlanta, GA 

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN SPEECH AND LANGUAGE: USING
MULTIMODAL TREATMENT IN A CHILD WITH APRAXIA
(Publication, 2016)
Tierney, Pitterle, Kurtz, Nakhla, & Todorow
Pediatrics
September 1, 2016, 138, 3

INDUCING VOCAL VERBAL BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN WITH SEVERE
LANGUAGE DELAYS THROUGH RAPID MOTOR IMITATION RESPONDING
(Publication, 2003)
Tsiouri & Greer
Journal of Behavioral Education
12(3), 185-206

THE NEURAL ARCHITECTURE OF THE LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION
NETWORK: CONVERGING EVIDENCE FROM LESION AND CONNECTIVITY ANALYSES
(Publication, 2011)
Turken & Dronkers
Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 5

PHONOLOGICAL PROCESS ANALYSIS
(Publication, 1979)
Weiner, F.
University Park Press: Baltimore, MD

EARLY CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH
(Presentation, 2011)
Wright & Overby
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association National Convention
San Diego, CA

updated 2/19/25