Abstract:

Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), also known as developmental apraxia
of speech or developmental verbal dyspraxia, is a developmental disorder
that affects a child's ability to vocalize their thoughts. Sounds, syllables,
or words can be very difficult to say because there is a miscommunication
in the brain that affects the coordination of the anatomical structures of
speech production (jaw, tongue, etc.) (Childhood Apraxia of Speech a).
This is a highly variable disorder in the sense that it presents differently in
every child; therefore a treatment that works for one child may not work
for another. Many treatments involve multisensory inputs, but it is not
clear whether these inputs alone make the greatest difference in a
successful therapy, or whether other factors such as the duration of therapy
or number of repetitions of a sound are as or more important. Published
research on the efficacy of the different treatments is scant, and the
majority of articles are case studies. Very few studies include more than
four children. Such small study samples weaken generalized conclusions
about the treatments. This paper will review the studies of the various
treatments and will show that the therapies with both multisensory inputs
and repetition provide the most effective treatment.
One possibility for treatment that I will explore more in depth is
board games. Presently, many computer games are available to children
with CAS, but since these games do not have a community of online
players, this eliminates a beneficial social aspect of therapy. Board games
create the opportunity for a social atmosphere as well as a fun one. The
more enjoyable atmosphere that comes hand-in-hand with games helps the
child feel more at ease during the therapy session, which in turn can
improve the child's learning ability and endurance during treatment (De
Bruijn 20 II). This paper will look at what makes educational games
effective and fun, and how games have been used in other areas of
therapy. I will present a theory for a game that incorporates multisensory
inputs and repetition, but which also uses the entertaining elements of
games to present the therapy in a less clinical and friendlier light.