If your child is struggling with apraxia, you may have heard of the Nuffield Dyspraxia Program, Third Edition (NDP3). This program helps children with mild to severe childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) and other severe speech disorders. The NDP3 is a comprehensive program that includes assessment, diagnosis, and treatment strategies.
The NDP3 was first published in 1992 and has since been updated and expanded in this third edition. The program is based on the Nuffield Centre Dyspraxia Programme, which was developed in the 1980s to help children with dyspraxia. The NDP3 should be used by speech-language pathologists and other professionals who work with children with speech disorders.
Key Takeaways
- The Nuffield Dyspraxia Program, Third Edition (NDP3) is a comprehensive program designed to help children with mild to severe childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) and other severe speech disorders.
- The NDP3 includes assessment and diagnosis, treatment strategies, and outcomes and efficacy.
- The program is based on the Nuffield Centre Dyspraxia Programme. Developers created this in the 1980s to help children with dyspraxia. It includes a range of treatment strategies.
Overview of Nuffield Dyspraxia Program, Third Edition for CAS
Purpose of NDP3
The primary goal of NDP3 is to help children aged 3-7 years with mild to severe CAS improve their speech by building skills from single speech sounds to connected speech. The program is based on a motor learning approach, which means it focuses on developing the motor planning and programming skills necessary for effective speech production.
Key Components and Structure
NDP3 is a flexible treatment package that includes therapy principles, techniques, and a large set of images, worksheets, and activities.
The program comprises three main components:
- Assessment: NDP3 includes a comprehensive assessment that helps identify the specific speech difficulties a child is experiencing. The assessment measures a child’s ability to produce and use speech sounds in connected speech through various tasks.
- Therapy: Based on the results of the assessment, the program provides a range of therapy techniques and activities designed to help children improve their speech. The therapy offers structure and flexibility, allowing adaptation to suit the needs of individual children.
- Monitoring and evaluation: NDP3 includes tools for monitoring and evaluating a child’s progress throughout the therapy process. Helping ensure that the therapy is effective and that progress is being made.
Overall, NDP3 is a well-established and evidence-based treatment option for children with CAS. However, unlike DTTC and ReST which offer free training for speech pathologists, the NDP3 is quite costly, making it less accessible for many therapists. In addition to buying materials, speech pathologists must also sign up for paid training.
Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment of CAS
Role of NDP3 in Diagnosis of CAS
If you suspect that your child has apraxia, it is important to seek a professional diagnosis from a qualified speech-language pathologist. The Nuffield Dyspraxia Program, Third Edition (NDP3) is a comprehensive assessment and therapy resource for speech and language professionals to diagnose and treat severe speech disorders, including apraxia.
NDP3 helps clinicians identify the specific speech sound errors that a child is making and determine the severity of their apraxia. The program uses a motor learning approach that builds skills from single speech sounds to connected speech. This approach is effective in treating apraxia in children aged 3-7 and can be adapted for younger or older children.
Assessment Tools and Criteria
NDP3 comprises an extensive treatment package, including therapy principles, techniques, and a large set of images, worksheets, and activities. The program includes assessment tools and criteria that can help clinicians identify the specific speech sound errors that a child is making and determine the severity of their apraxia.
The assessment tools in NDP3 are designed to evaluate a child’s speech production skills, including their ability to produce individual speech sounds, syllables, and words. The program also includes tools to evaluate a child’s ability to produce connected speech, such as phrases and sentences.
NDP3 uses a set of criteria to determine the severity of a child’s apraxia. These criteria take into account the child’s age, the number and type of speech sound errors they are making, and their ability to produce connected speech. Based on these criteria, clinicians can develop a personalized treatment plan to help the child improve their speech production skills.
CAS Treatment
Your child’s speech pathologist can purchase a variety of therapy materials through the NDP3 website to include:
- Therapy manuals
- Articulograms (hand-held picture cards)
- Worksheets
- Speech Builder Software
Use NDP3 under the guidance of a speech and language therapist who can customize the therapy to your child’s specific speech needs. However, parents and school support staff play a crucial role in practicing these exercises outside of therapy sessions. If you would like to see some therapy sample pages, then visit this link on the NDP3 website.
Final Thoughts
Your child’s speech pathologist considers treatment programming based on a comprehensive assessment and severity level. The NDP3 program is researched-based, but it may not be suitable for every child with CAS. I would like to see this company make the program more accessible for speech pathologists interested in taking the time to train and purchase necessary materials.
Nanette Cote is an ASHA certified speech pathologist, published author, and private practice business owner with 30 years experience.
