Treatment to Establish Motor Program Organization (TEMPO)
TEMPO (Treatment to Establish Motor Program Organization) is an evidence-based practice used in the treatment of Apraxia of Speech (AOS), a motor speech disorder characterized by distortions, segmentation, and equal stress across syllables. This treatment targets all three diagnostic features of AOS through repetition of accurate speech sounds, fluent syllable transitions, and contrastive stress patterns. It follows a highly intensive protocol, requiring that clients attend therapy 4 days a week for approximately 60 minutes, for 4 weeks. The rigidity and time-commitment of this treatment greatly impacts its availability to those affected by AOS. Thus, an app has been developed, SayBananas, that allows participants to partake in TEMPO treatments from anywhere. The increased accessibility that the app allows will grant more individuals the opportunity to receive treatment and improve their social communication. Our current study will test the efficacy of the app to see if it aligns with in-person treatments of TEMPO.