Knowledge and Practice: Diagnosing and Treating Childhood Apraxia Speech

Abstract

In the field of speech-language pathology, few topics are more controversial than childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Because of the lack of agreement on diagnostic criteria and no standardized protocol for diagnosing, CAS can look vastly different from one child to another. Nevertheless, the number of children diagnosed with CAS appears to be on the rise. The purpose of this study is twofold. The first is to investigate the sources from which SLPs gain knowledge about CAS. The second is to investigate SLPs' protocols for diagnosing and making treatment decisions for those diagnosed with CAS. SLPs working in public and charter schools in Wisconsin were sent an electronic survey. This survey gathered information about demographic information and asked questions that fell under three main themes: diagnosing CAS, treating CAS, and learning about CAS. It is important to gauge SLPs' perspectives and practices regarding CAS to better understand potential causes for the apparent rise in the rate of diagnosis. Furthermore, EBP is emphasized in all areas of speech-language pathology and this study is a way to evaluate this movement's impact on a specific disorder.