Speech in Ten-Minute Sessions: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of the Chaining SPLITS Service Delivery Model.

Purpose: This study evaluates the initial efficacy of Chaining SPeech Lessons in Intensive Ten-minute Sessions (SPLITS), an alternative service delivery model for the Speech Motor Chaining treatment approach. We hypothesized that Chaining SPLITS would result in improvements in /ɹ/ accuracy on syllables and untrained words when compared to a no-treatment condition.

Method: Within a randomized controlled trial, thirteen 7-9-year-old children with difficulty producing /ɹ/ were randomized to receive treatment either immediately or after an 8-week delay.

Research Priorities for Childhood Apraxia of Speech: A Long View.

This article introduces the Special Issue: Selected Papers From the 2022 Apraxia Kids Research Symposium. The field of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) has developed significantly in the past 15 years, with key improvements in understanding of basic biology including genetics, neuroscience, and computational modelling; development of diagnostic tools and methods; diversity of evidence-based interventions with increasingly rigorous experimental designs; and understanding of impacts beyond impairment-level measures. Papers in this special issue not only review and synthesize the some of the substantial progress to date but also present novel findings addressing critical research gaps and adding to the overall body of knowledge.

Assessing Shared Reading in Families at Risk: Does Quantity Predict Quality?

Purpose: Quantity and quality of early at-home reading shape literacy outcomes. At-home reading frequency is a common outcome measure in interventions. This single measure may not fully capture the quality of early reading interactions, such as parent and child references to print, an important contributor to language and literacy outcomes.

Keep the Ball Rolling: Sustained Multiturn Conversational Episodes Are Associated With Child Language Ability.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between interaction quality and child language ability. We focused on one promising interaction quality indicator-the rate of multiturn conversational episodes. We also explored whether the relationship between rate of single conversational turns and language ability changed when the child's nonverbal behaviors were considered in addition to verbal conversational turns.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech Among Children With Autism: Narrative Review and Clinical Recommendations.

Purpose: Treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and low verbal ability is a largely neglected area of study. Existing research focuses on language abilities; however, a subset of children with ASD also has speech sound disorders (SSDs). The purpose of this tutorial is to provide clinicians with evidence-based recommendations to guide speech assessment and treatment among children with ASD, low verbal ability, and suspected childhood apraxia of speech (CAS).

Change the Things You Can: Modifiable Parent Characteristics Predict High-Quality Early Language Interaction Within Socioeconomic Status.

Purpose Understanding variability sources in early language interaction is critical to identifying children whose development is at risk and designing interventions. Variability across socioeconomic status (SES) groups has been extensively explored. However, SES is a limited individual clinical indicator.

Autism-Centered Therapy for Childhood Apraxia of Speech (ACT4CAS): A Single-Case Experimental Design Study.

Purpose A subset of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has speech sound disorders, including childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). To date, virtually all speech treatment studies consider ASD an exclusionary criterion, resulting in little scientific evidence for treatment of CAS for children who also have ASD. This study proposes and tests a novel approach, Autism-Centered Therapy for Childhood Apraxia of Speech (ACT4CAS), as a theoretically and clinically informed speech treatment option for this population.