App Review and Giveaway: Speech Therapy for Apraxia – NACD Home Speech Therapist

Developed by the National Association for Child Development (NACD) by an SLP, the Apraxia app provides choices of different phonemes to target and gradually increases the levels  of difficulty to improve motor planning for speech.

Here’s how its set up:

On the first page you can choose the option of reading the Instructions of Getting Started.

Here’s what the second page looks like:

 Phonemes are organized into groups (vs. individually) roughly in a developmental sequence from earlier to relatively later sounds (see above) via place of articulation. The user is supposed to choose a group  that has the sounds the child is already producing in isolation.  of course you can also use to teach new sounds as well.

Once you choose a phoneme group you go onto the next page which looks like this:

Here you can choose your level of complexity:

Level 1: Practice one syllable individually on each page:  PUH, SHOW, JAW

Level 2: Practice each syllable 3x on each page: MAY, MAY, MAY, 

Level 3: Practice each syllable 5x on each page: BAY, BAY, BAY, BAY, BAY, 

Level 4: Practice each syllable 4x but add another syllable on the 5th timeon each page: MOO, MOO, MOO, MOO, MA

Level 5: Alternate 2 different syllables 5x on each page: ZAY, ZOO, ZAY, ZOO, ZAY

Level 6: Alternate a variety of syllables 5x on each page: SHOE, SHY, SHOE, SHUH, SHY 

Level 7: Alternation of syllables becomes more complex  as two different sounds are combined 5x on each page:  CHI, CHEW, CHI, SHE, CHEW

Level 8: Sounds from different groups of phonemes are combined 5x on each page: JOE, RYE, G, RUH, SHUH

The illustrations and audio are provided for each syllable and you do have the option to repeat, reset, or move to the next level.

What I like:

• The syllables are arranged in a hierarchical order which is hugely important.
• Great for drills of CV  monosyllabic words with very involved children.
• Great for introducing new sounds.
• Pictures are provided when possible (unless it’s a nonsense syllable)
• Audio models are provided, which is great for all clients but particularly for very young children.
• This app is perfect for drills so you can use it in the initial stages of working with children with a variety of speech sound deficits including articulation and phonological disorders.
• Parents can use this app to practice at home what was taught in therapy.

What I think could be Improved in the Future:

• Because the sounds are presented in groups vs. individually the words and pictures in a group alternate (page 1: /puh/; page 2: /boo/; page 3: /mo/, etc ). This is not great for those clients who have yet to master another sound in the same group (e.g., have /sh/ but not /ch/). However that’s not a deal breaker, and can simply swipe to the next page until you see a picture/word with the sound you need. 
• There’s no way to currently track data or record the child’s productions.
• The app is applicable for children with significant CAS/motor speech involvement, so if you are looking to practice sounds beyond the CV range (VC, CVC, CVCV) you will not find ANY in this particular app.

Conclusion:

• The app is very cheap for how comprehensive and well thought out it actually is!
• Currently it’s listed for $4.99 in the itunes store which is a steal as compared to other apraxia apps.
• For that price its well worth a buy if its applicable to your client population.

The Fun Part:

I get to give away 2 copies to two lucky winners, so enter my Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to check it out for yourself for free.