🌱 This Week in Therapy: New Training, a Tip & FAQ
At Hart Therapy Services, we’re always learning so we can show up better—for our clients, for families, and for each other. This week, I’m sharing three moments that stood out: a new training that’s expanded our skills, a strategy that helped a parent feel more confident, and a win we celebrated in session.
🏋🏼♀️ New Training: Bjorem Speech Apraxia Course
This week, our team dove into new learning through the Bjorem Speech course on Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). We’re always building on our foundation—and this training gave us even more tools to support children working through motor planning and articulation challenges.
Some of our favorite takeaways:
CAS is characterized by inconsistent errors, prosody disruptions, groping, voicing issues, and vowel distortions
Target words should be highly motivating and built from sounds already in the child’s speech inventory
Following Principles of Motor Learning, we’re focusing on repetition, varied practice, and meaningful feedback
We aim for high numbers of accurate trials, starting with maximum support and gradually fading to independence
We’re excited to integrate this updated knowledge into sessions for children with CAS or similar speech motor planning needs. If you're a parent curious about how this applies to your child—reach out! This is what we love to talk about.
🔁 Parent Tip: The Power of Repeating
I had a great conversation with a parent this week about how repeating can support expressive language development—especially for kids who are making progress but sometimes speak too quickly or quietly.
When a child rushes through their words or skips over sounds, it’s not always about laziness or disinterest—it’s often about planning. Their brain is working hard to find the right words, and sometimes they’re just trying to get to the “important part.”
That’s where repeating with intention comes in. When we reflect back their sentence—slower, clearer, and with emphasis—it can help build confidence and understanding.
For example:
Child: “I wan go park.”
Adult: “You want to go to the park! Let’s do it!”
Even if you only caught part of the message, repeat what you heard and fill in the blanks with your best guess:
“You want… the big one? Let’s get the big truck!”
This particular client lit up when his words were echoed back. It was more than language—it was about feeling heard.
🙋♀️ FAQ from Parents: Why Does My Child Say a Word One Day, Then Not Again?
This is one of the most common and totally understandable concerns I hear:
“She said the word yesterday—why won’t she say it again today?”
Here’s what I often explain: it’s less about refusal, and more about access.
Especially for autistic children or kids with motor speech challenges, producing a word isn’t always consistent—even if they’ve said it before. Think of it like a drawer they can sometimes open easily… and other times not at all.
✅ They haven’t forgotten.
✅ They’re not being stubborn.
✅ They’re still learning how to get the word out consistently.
At Hart Therapy Services, we focus on building those motor pathways through repetition, motivation, and connection—so the drawer opens more easily over time.
If your child can say it sometimes, that’s actually a great sign. They’re on the path. Keep going.
👋 Want to Learn More?
Thanks for following along this week! I’d love to hear your thoughts—comment below with a question, and it might show up in a future blog post. Be sure to follow us on Instagram for more tools, strategies, and client-centered care.
Interested in speech therapy in Atlanta for your child? We offer in-clinic sessions at our Kirkwood office (1560 Memorial Dr SE) and provide school-based services in surrounding areas. Our approach is play-based, neurodiversity-affirming, and collaborative—and we’d love to meet you.
See you next time with more from the therapy room!
— Hart Therapy Services
