Review - Speech Therapy for Apraxia - Words

By www.preschoolspeechie.com

                                                         
                                                              click here for app

Speech Therapy for Apraxia – Words  is a sequel to Speech Therapy for Apraxia (CV combos.) It  was reviewed to determine its value for the preschool child exhibiting phonological processes (especially final consonant deletion), apraxia or articulation concerns. This app displays the same format as the first, which I love. It is organized by sound placement (e.g. bilabials), has 8 levels and is easy to figure out.  It also held my preschooler’s interest for about 10 minutes. She exhibits final consonant delection and she willingly imitated the words. She enjoyed tapping the picture, imitating the word and swiping.  There was no record button. This app is especially beneficial for probing stimulability of CVC patterns, using as a screening tool  and proving to be one of the best organized oral motor warm-up in a hierarchy of levels.   This app mainly focuses on production of static CVC patterns  which can’t be changed. CVC patterns are pre -chosen for each level and arranged in a specific order on the screen. The student can practice 1 to 5 unrelated CVC words, but there is no flexibility in adding or deleting CVC combinations. There were a few words I would like to have changed.   For the preschooler, I would like to see a level in which words can potentially be sequenced together for meaningful phrases.  The ability to add words, create my own pattern (select  CVC patterns from a list  and move them into the designated boxes) would be optimal.  and gives What you see is what you get. In spite of my desire for more flexibility in this app, you cannot beat the price at $4.99.   Overall, it is a valuable tool for the Speech Toolbox and highly recommended.  See Rubrics below:

Rubrics	Description	Likes	Suggestion	Rating
Curriculum	Material is accurate & evidence based, addresses task, offers large selection target	1.CV C– select group of words organized in a hierarchy according to place of articulation and ease of production, e.g. bilabials m,p,b 2.Organized format for learning 8 levels of CVC combinations for motor sequencing and especially final consonant deletion.  3.This app works nicely for preschoolers with phonological processes, apraxia, artic	I would like to see the use of more functional  CVC words	4
Flexibility	Flexibility to adjust settings & add/delete photos, add/delete tasks,  audio recordings, back button	1.Easy to move from one screen to the next.  2..Can quickly change from one group of words or level to another.  3. Easy to do a quick probe for stimulability and to establish a baseline at each level.	CVC patterns are pre -chosen for each level and arranged in a specific order on the screen. For the preschooler,  I would like to see a level in which words  can potentially be sequenced together for a meaningful phrase.  The ability to  create my own pattern and select  CVC patterns from a list  and move them into the designated boxes would be optimal.	3
Ease of use	Can use app quickly, instructions from developer, no glitches	Love the simplicity of this app – it’s self- explanatory . This app is very easy to use and does not require instructions.  My  preschooler was able to tap the pictures and swipe independently.  She knew to repeat the word when heard.		5
Interest	Captures attention of user, simple graphics, interactive	This app is strictly for imitation drill, as my preschooler liked tapping & swiping  the buttons, hearing and imitating  the syllables. There are no bells & whistles.  Perfect for a 5-10 minute warm up activity.	Pics are cute. Kids love to swipe the pics. It is very easy to skip a word and swipe to the next one I would like to see a voice recording for the student.	5
Value-Outcome	Accountability- time needed to complete task, # trials, results in improved student performance- record data – progress monitoring	Offers Accountability and data for progress monitoring of CV.  Repetitive co-articulation of up to 5 varied CV patterns.  Price of $4.99 is reasonable.  You get numerous trials	Record keeping needs to be completed on paper by user	5