What is rapid speech therapy?
So, What is It?
Rapid Speech Therapy is two things:
- 1First, It is a method of doing speech therapy with a focus on developing the speed of sound productions.
- 2Second, it is a way of getting the job done quicker if done correctly.
Lets look at the four core principles of this method.
Stimulability
Stimulability refers to being able to say a sound correctly when given a model. This is always the starting point. You can progress no further until a sound is accurate in isolation. You have to practice the right sound from the start. Interestingly, as a Speech Language Pathologist I find I spend a small amount of time on stimulablilty. I spend my time developing sounds through syllable, double syllables, words , sentences and conversation. Once a sound is stimulable, it is a matter of doing the work to achieve success.
Speed
We practice drills to develop speed. We reinforce the skills that the client can already do. The focus is on doing it smoother, quicker and faster. Speed makes the most difference. Conversational speech requires rapid mouth movements that must be automatic. All beginning speech clients need to focus on their sound production initially. They have to pay attention to their mouth to say their target sounds. My experience shows focusing on developing speed makes the speech sounds become automatic sooner. If a speech sound is unable to be produced rapidly, it will likely not be spoken accurately in conversation. It is likely the automatic production that is easy to produce will be an error. When I was just out of Grad school I initially avoided doing speed drills because they caused errors. I learned to embrace speed drills which brought the errors to the surface and allowed for quicker resolution. The key to the quicker results lies in practicing the speech sounds rapidly. This will ultimately develop productions that are smooth, effortless and automatic. Working rapidly produces results!!
Remember the golden rule of rapid speech therapy. Accuracy first! Increase your speed while maintaining your accuracy.
Always work on increasing your speed until the accuracy fails. Slow down to reconnect with the accuracy and repeat the process of speeding up. Master this and amazing things will happen.
Simple Systematic Method
Speech therapy can be a complex and challenging topic. An easy to learn approach for parents to follow is important. A simple, systematic approach breaks the process down into manageable chunks. It allows parents to see a clear starting point, and pathway to follow. Parents who understand the approach are far more likely to use it and do the homework. Giving a parent an easy to follow program that makes sense will build their self confidence. It gives them some promise and hope because they feel like they can make a difference. When this happens, they are more likely to succeed in their home program.
Consistent practice
Daily practice is what produces quicker results. I consistently see quicker results in parents practicing daily. When no practice happens results are slower and sometimes do not happen at all. Ensuring practice takes place daily will speed the process. Make your daily practice manageable. Do your daily homework in a small dose that does not overwhelm or frustrate the child. It needs to be as manageable as brushing your teeth daily.
Lets recap
Rapid speech therapy is a method that leads to impressive results if done correctly.
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- Stimulability is the starting point.
- Speed drills will yield faster results by making productions smooth, effortless and automatic.
- A simple systematic method helps parents succeed by making the homework process manageable.
- Consistent practice yields quicker results. Getting practice done daily will put you on the fast track.
Do you want to learn how to best support you child? Download the 20 best tips for speech practice.