TRUTH: The K-SLP is not just a drill-oriented method. It is not just about the picture cards in Kits 1 and 2. Play is incorporated into every session. Picture cards are initially implemented, as it is too difficult to contrive the specific targets for the child to be able to practice the specific vowels, consonants, and syllable shapes with enough repetition necessary for success.

If the SLP is only using the Kit pictures within a session, they are not implementing the K-SLP the way it was intended! Sessions can and eventually should be conducted without any pictures at all. For very young children, pictures are not introduced until the task of imitation is understood, and there are always targeted goals through play.

Practicing new skills through play and the natural environment is essential to the K-SLP methods. The K-SLP is implemented with high levels of motivating toys and activities in a warm, encouraging manner. Many responses are necessary for success. Therefore, you will see a great deal of repetition in a K-SLP session.

If the K-SLP is done the way in which it was intended, the children will be willing, cooperative and successful learners.

TRUTH: It's a misconception that kids with CAS should only be taught the full, adult forms of words. The K-SLP effectively involves teaching word approximations toward target words, phrases and sentences, and not simply just accepting the child’s approximation. Word approximations are continuously shaped toward the full target words to perfection.

Once the child learns a closer approximation of a target word, the old approximation is extinguished and only the closer approximation is reinforced. Full correct words and phrases are always modeled for the child. If the child is not stimulable to produce a vowel or consonant accurately, they would be taught a compensatory placement, while continuing to gain stimulability for articulatory accuracy.

There is a great deal of research supporting teaching a new behavior (in this instance, the behavior of producing and combining vowels and consonants to form words, and combining words to formulate language) through shaping successive approximations. (See the list of evidence-based practice).

Every child Nancy Kaufman or any SLP at the Kaufman Children’s Center has ever taught to develop effective vocal communication was taught via successive word approximations and compensatory articulatory placements. The K-SLP methods have been implemented successfully since 1979.

TRUTH: Due to the nature of the K-SLP, it is difficult to systematize the process so each clinician is using the exact same intervention strategies. The protocol depends upon a wide range of variables including:

• The individual clinician
• How cues are chosen
• How motivation and reinforcement is implemented
• How to simplify the motor plans of words temporarily based upon the child’s repertoire

However, a great deal of evidence and peer-reviewed research has been completed. You can find a list of resources HERE.

TRUTH: There are many controversies surrounding “oral-motor therapy.” The research has taught us that oral-motor exercises do not help children to be more successful vocal communicators if they are exhibiting only characteristics of CAS. We do not implement oral-motor exercises at all for this population of children.

Specific tools established and offered through TalkTools and Apraxia Shapes have been instrumental for those who have very few vowels or consonants within their repertoire and who struggle with the underlying oral placement to sustain the accuracy of a vowel or consonant. When appropriate, a tool will be implemented inside the oral cavity to assist the child as a cue (much like how PROMPT cues are used outside of the oral cavity) for initial success, then the tool is faded out as the child is able to produce the underlying movement to sustain the new vowel or consonant independently.

TalkTools and Apraxia Shapes are also implemented here at the KCC to assist with the quality of feeding for those children who struggle with sucking, chewing and swallowing, and who also struggle to speak. Horns and/or straws are only introduced to gain the necessary skills for improved feeding or as a tool to gain a vowel or consonant as above. Sometimes, horns are introduced to help the child to practice sustaining respiratory support that would be needed to support sentence length or as a tool to be paired directly with a consonant that requires sustaining and grading air flow such as for /s, f, sh/.

TRUTH: K-SLP materials are not essential for successful K-SLP methods. They were produced by Nancy as she needed/wanted them for stimuli and assumed that other SLPs might also find them to be useful.

If SLPs understand the K-SLP methods, all that is needed are pictures, objects, toys, and other highly preferred items or activities for each child. Each SLP will also require knowledge about how to simplify the motor plans of words by implementing natural phonological processes and understanding shaping methods.

Visit Northern Speech Services for a 6-hour course on the full K-SLP method (ASHA credits available).