An Often Unheard of but Successful Speech Therapy Method for Apraxia

Edna Hill Young was known for her elaborate version of motor speech therapy, the moto-kinesthetic method. The method involved having clients open their mouths and directly manipulating their articulators (lips, tongue, teeth, jaw). She would often physically manipulate the tongue into various postures and help the client formulate the lips into different positions that corresponded with the sound of speech that were desired.  This is a method that has been used for decades with children and adults who have difficulty accurately saying the sounds of speech as some with aphasia and apraxia.  Very few therapists are familiar with how to deal with a severe apraxia.

The Motokinesthetic Approach to Speech Therapy  (A diamond in the Rough!)

This Moto Kinesthetic Approach fell out of favor as it was developed in the late 1920’s and was researched and utilized in California as well as in other parts of the country. It is what I believe, to be the best kept secret to overcoming a severe to profound apraxia of speech.  Apraxia of speech is where a client has difficulty moving the articulators and direct manipulation is often the key to getting more accurate movement. However, many do not take the time to properly research this method or briefly utilize it and often discard direct speech therapy methods in favor of alternative communication with technology.   That  leads to the realization that a loved one will never talk again since direct speech therapy methods are discontinued.  One can never utter intelligibile speech if he or she can not produce the speech sounds which are the buildilng blocks of each spoken word.