CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH:

ASSESSMENT & MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION COURSE

By Ms. Shereen Idiculla, Speech & Language Therapist

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Course Overview

This 4-day certification course is designed to move beyond theory into clinical application.

Participants will learn to:

* Identify motor speech difficulties through clinical observation
* Differentiate CAS from other speech and language disorders
* Build speech readiness through movement and regulation
* Apply motor learning principles in real therapy contexts

The course is highly practical, with:
✔️ Video-based analysis
✔️ Case discussions
✔️ Live demonstrations
✔️ Guided clinical decision-making

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PROGRAM STRUCTURE

🔹 Day 1:
Understanding the Foundation (Why Speech Breaks Down)

* Bottom-up processing of the brain
* Movement, regulation & speech readiness
* Primitive reflexes & their role in development
* Impact of retained reflexes on speech, coordination & behaviour

👉 Focus:
Understanding why children are not ready for speech

✔️ Includes guided discussion + clinical examples

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🔹 Day 2 – Differential Diagnosis & Clinical Thinking

* Motor planning vs motor programming
* CAS vs Dysarthria vs Phonological vs Language
* Dynamic assessment & response to cueing
* Key clinical markers (variability, transitions, complexity)

👉 Focus:
Learning to identify the breakdown

✔️ Video analysis (multiple case examples)
✔️ Guided group discussion
✔️ Real-time clinical reasoning

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🔹 Day 3 – Building Speech Readiness (WBSP in Practice)

* Whole Brain to Speech Protocol (WBSP)
* Regulation, movement & interaction as foundations
* Role of sensory processing in motor speech
* Integrating AAC for communication support

👉 Focus:
What to do when the child is not ready for speech

✔️ Live demonstrations
✔️ Movement & regulation activities
✔️ Case-based application

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🔹 Day 4 – Speech Intervention & Motor Learning

* Principles of Motor Learning (applied to therapy)
* Structuring practice (blocked → variable → random)
* Cueing strategies (visual, auditory, tactile)
* Using approaches like DTTC, PROMPT, ReST (clinical application)

👉 Focus:
What to do in therapy sessions

✔️ Video demonstrations
✔️ Live therapy breakdowns
✔️ Guided session planning

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PRACTICUM COMPONENT

Participants will:

* Analyse real therapy videos
* Work through case scenarios
* Practice clinical decision-making
* Apply strategies in structured activities

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Schedule

Dates:
📅 19th & 20th June
📅 26th & 27th June

Time:
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM IST

Mode: Online (Zoom)

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Certification Includes

✔️ Assignments
✔️ Case-based learning
✔️ Practical application tasks

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KEY OUTCOME

Participants will leave with:

* A clear clinical lens for identifying CAS
* Confidence in assessment and differential diagnosis
* Practical tools to apply immediately in therapy