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Unique treatment principles in the service of speech treatment – The VML method
Vashdi E ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This document describes the VML (Verbal Motor Learning) method, a speech treatment approach for children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). It outlines 16 treatment principles designed to guide therapists in delivering motor learning-based speech therapy. The document is a lecture abstract introducing the method and its principles rather than an empirical evaluation of the intervention's effectiveness.
Key points
- CAS is a motor speech disorder with prevalence estimates of at least 1/100, and 63.6% of children with ASD have been found to be apraxic
- Consequences of speech inability include frustration, anger, depression, communication deficits, language delay, poor social skills and behavioural problems
- The VML method uses manual techniques and motor learning principles to teach basic speech milestones
- 16 unique treatment principles guide therapy delivery, including platform management, relationship, emotional safety, rhythm, timing, and support
- The document is presented as a lecture introducing principles with treatment video demonstrations
Limitations
This is a method description and lecture abstract rather than an evaluation study, so it provides no empirical evidence of whether the VML method actually improves outcomes for children with CAS. No data on effectiveness, comparison groups, or outcome measurements are provided.
Abstract
Introduction Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) was declared as a motor speech disorder by ASHA (2007). The prevalence of CAS is yet to determined due to difficulties in reliable diagnosis, however 63.6% of children with ASD were found to Apraxic (Tierney et al, 2015), hence prevalence would be at least 1/100 (ASD prevalence is 1/54). Objectives The consequences of inability to speak in early and advanced developmental age are many and might include frustration, anger, depression, communication deficit, language delay, poor social skills and behavioural problems. Not only treating motor speech disorder is challenging enough, the external consequences make it far more difficult. Methods The VML method (Verbal Motor Learning) was designed to treat the motor aspect of speech. It uses manual techniques and motor learning principles in order to directly teach the basic milestones of speech for children with CAS. In addition, the importance of the manner of the practice was established over the years, extracting 16 unique treatment principles. These principles guide the therapist regarding HOW to perform the practice, while giving an answer to the external CAS consequences. Results The principles are the platform, managing energy levels, relationship, attention, goal-oriented thinking, emotional safety, treatment structure, rhythm, timing, threshold point, support, dynamic thinking, ecological treatment, proactivity, clarity and commitment. Conclusions The lecture will introduce the 16 principles briefly, and demonstrate the use of them via treatment videos. Disclosure I am the founder of the VML method and I teach it in various countries.