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KSLP logo for the Kaufman program that aids students with childhood apraxia of speech to move through to speech with increasingly complex speech parts.

The Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol

The Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol (K-SLP) is a highly effective, motor-based therapy approach designed specifically for children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) and other motor-speech challenges. Instead of asking children to produce full words they aren’t yet ready for, K-SLP teaches the simplest, most achievable versions of words first—building speech the same way young children naturally learn their earliest “first words.”

In K-SLP, children learn word approximations, or the “shells” of words, without overwhelming them with complex consonant clusters, vowels, or multi-syllabic patterns they can’t yet coordinate. As their motor-speech control, sequencing, and consistency improve, those simpler versions gradually reshape into more accurate and complete words.

For example:

  • “Bottle” may start as “ba”

  • Then become “baba”

  • Later shift to “bado”

  • And eventually grow into “bottle”

This step-by-step teaching method mirrors normal speech development while providing the structured practice children with CAS need. It reduces frustration, increases confidence, and helps children experience successful communication early and often.

K-SLP is especially beneficial for children with:

  • Childhood Apraxia of Speech

  • Severe speech sound disorders

  • Motor planning and sequencing difficulties

  • Limited expressive vocabularies

  • Inconsistent sound production

At KidSpeak Therapy, K-SLP strategies blend seamlessly with PROMPT techniques, oral-motor support, and myofunctional principles to create a whole-child, motor-based speech therapy plan. Our goal is to help children build clear, functional speech as efficiently and joyfully as possible.

We proudly work with families in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomac, Rockville, and the greater DMV area, and we also support telepractice clients in Florida and California.

If you’re searching for Childhood Apraxia of Speech treatment, K-SLP therapy, or a structured motor-speech program near you, KidSpeak Therapy is here to help your child find their voice—one achievable step at a time.Visit The Kaufman Center

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