I often am asked what is PROMPT and how important is it that a speech pathologist be certified in this approach? Since I became certified many years ago, I have found it to be a highly effective method to improve intelligibility as opposed to traditional articulation therapy.
Why is it more effective?
It helps with lip, tongue and jaw movement. For example a child says, "I wan tast" (I run fast). We have to help them coordinate lip and tongue movements instead of targeting each sound. It is a more efficient way to speak and be understood.
What is it?
PROMPT stands for Parameters for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets. It is a highly effective way of using tactile cues to move the articulators to help improve articulation and intelligibility. It is used for children with apraxia, articulation issues, oral motor difficulties and/or children who are not making progress with traditional speech therapy. It requires extensive hands on experience to become a certified therapist endorsed by the PROMPT institute. (www.promptinstitute.com)
This approach is also beneficial for older children who persist with speech errors through elementary schools, such as difficulties producing r, sh, l and ch. These are only a few examples but it is best to remediate these errors as early as possible before they become a habit.
Can it be done online?
Yes .I personally developed a method of showing visual models online specifically for remediation of sounds, r, th, ch, dz and lisping.
For more information please contact Lori@allislandspeech.com
Lori Melnitsky, CCC-SLP is a Prompt Certified speech pathologist.
