Behavioral Science
Impact of Dose Frequency of Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC) Treatment for Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) on Receptive and Expressive Language
Jessica Katz
Behavioral Science
Jessica Katz
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder in which the core deficit lies in the brain, which is unable to plan and program the movements of speech muscles, such as the lips. This causes decreased intelligibility and worsened receptive and expressive language. Receptive language is the ability to understand and process what others are saying, while expressive language is the ability to communicate wants and needs. To ensure that the child has a chance of being able to talk, CAS must be treated as soon as it is diagnosed. Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC) is a therapy based on integral stimulation that targets CAS. Small groups studied revealed that this treatment is effective, but there have not been studies on session frequency of DTTC and its impact on receptive and expressive language. This Randomized Control Trial aims to address those gaps, and it is hypothesized that those in the higher session frequency group will have higher receptive and expressive language scores. 60 children will be recruited for the study. 30 will be in the high session frequency group (4 times/week) and 30 will be in the low session frequency group (2 times/week). Treatment will be given in a quiet space, either in the child’s home or a clinic room. Directly after and four weeks post treatment, receptive and expressive language will be tested in therapy. These results will allow parents to schedule the ideal number of appointments per week to help their child improve.