What side effects are associated with this type of intervention?

The most common treatments for Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) include traditional articulation and phonologically based approaches, as well as motor-based approaches like Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cuing (DTTC). While specific side effects of DTTC are not detailed, motor-based speech therapies generally have minimal physical side effects. However, they can be intensive and may lead to frustration or fatigue in children due to the high level of repetition and effort required. It is important for therapists to monitor the child's emotional and physical well-being throughout the treatment.

What prior FDA approvals exist?

There are no specific FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). Traditional treatments have focused on articulation and phonologically based approaches, which have shown limited effectiveness. The Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cuing (DTTC) method, a motor-based approach currently being studied, aims to directly refine speech movements and improve speech production in children with CAS. This method represents a shift towards addressing the speech motor deficits characteristic of CAS.

What other types of research exist?

Promising alternatives to DTTC for treating Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) include: 1) Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) combined with speech therapy, which has shown potential in improving motor function in pediatric hemiparesis and could be adapted for CAS. 2) Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT), which has been effective in improving motor skills in cerebral palsy and may be beneficial for speech motor control in CAS. 3) Neuromodulation techniques such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), which have been explored for other neurological conditions and could offer new avenues for CAS treatment.

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Motor-based Intervention for Childhood Apraxia of Speech

N/A

Recruiting

Led By Maria I Grigos, PhD

Research Sponsored by New York University

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Diagnosis of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) based on specific criteria including the presence of inconsistent consonant and vowel errors, difficulties forming accurate movement between sounds and syllables, and prosodic errors, as well as demonstration of at least four additional characteristics

Age between 2.5 and 7.11 years of age

Must not have

Presence of fluency disorder, even if the child meets criteria for CAS

History of DTTC treatment

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up through the treatment phase (32 treatment sessions over 8 weeks)

Awards & highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial tests a special method called DTTC to help young children with speech difficulties improve their speaking skills. The method uses touch and timing cues to guide mouth movements, aiming to make their speech clearer. The study focuses on young children who have trouble coordinating their speech.

Who is the study for?

This trial is for children aged 2.5 to almost 8 years with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) who have never had DTTC treatment, can pass a hearing test, and show specific speech difficulties without other neurological or developmental disorders.

What is being tested?

The study tests the effectiveness of Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cuing (DTTC), a motor-based speech therapy, on improving word production in kids with CAS. It looks at how well they learn treated words, if it helps with untreated words, and if improvements last after treatment ends.

What are the potential side effects?

Since this intervention involves speech therapy techniques rather than medication, traditional side effects are not expected. However, there may be varying levels of fatigue or frustration during the learning process.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below

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My child has been diagnosed with CAS, showing specific speech difficulties.

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I am between 2.5 and 8 years old.

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I have never received DTTC treatment.

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My mouth and throat structures are normal.

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:

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My child has a speech fluency disorder, even though they have been diagnosed with CAS.

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I have been treated with DTTC before.

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I have hearing loss, even though I also have CAS.

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I have a neurological, developmental, or genetic disorder.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ through the treatment phase (32 treatment sessions over 8 weeks)

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~through the treatment phase (32 treatment sessions over 8 weeks)

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and through the treatment phase (32 treatment sessions over 8 weeks) for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary study objectives

Changes in word accuracy

Secondary study objectives

Changes in the duration of segments and words

Changes in the percentage of words correctly identified by a listener

Changes in the speech motor variability of segments and words

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

2Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Group I: Immediate TreatmentExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

Participants in the Immediate Treatment Group will receive DTTC Treatment four times per week (45-minute sessions each) for 8 weeks. Total duration will be 180 minutes/week over 32 sessions. Treatment will begin between 1-3 weeks following the diagnostic evaluation.

Group II: Delayed TreatmentExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

The Delayed Treatment Group serves as a control during the period in which participants are waiting to begin treatment. A delayed treatment onset is employed to control for maturation effects. Participants in the Delayed Treatment Group will receive DTTC Treatment four times per week (45-minute sessions each) for 8 weeks. Total duration will be 180 minutes/week over 32 sessions. Treatment will begin after an 8-week delay following the diagnostic evaluation.

0 / 8Eligibility criteria met

Research Highlights

Information in this section is not a recommendation. We encourage patients to speak with their healthcare team when evaluating any treatment decision.

Mechanism Of Action

Side Effect Profile

Prior Approvals

Other Research

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) treatments like Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cuing (DTTC) focus on refining speech movements through intensive practice and the use of tactile and visual cues. This motor-based approach is essential because it directly addresses the core issue in CAS: the difficulty in planning and executing precise speech movements. By enhancing motor control, DTTC aims to improve speech production and generalization of skills, leading to better communication outcomes for children with CAS.

Use of neurodevelopmental treatment as an intervention: annotated listing of studies 1980-1990.HABIT+tDCS: a study protocol of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) investigating the synergistic efficacy of hand-arm bimanual intensive therapy (HABIT) plus targeted non-invasive brain stimulation to improve upper extremity function in school-age children with unilateral cerebral palsy.The Impact of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Affected and Unaffected Sides of a Child with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy.