Certified PROMPT Therapist
PROMPT Therapy
A tactile motor-speech treatment approach for children with apraxia and other motor speech disorders. Delivered by Laura Friedman, MS, CCC-SLP, QOM.
What Is PROMPT Therapy?
PROMPT stands for Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets. It is a motor-speech treatment approach developed by Deborah Hayden that uses tactile (touch) cues on the face, jaw, lips, and tongue to guide the precise muscle movements needed for speech.
For children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) and other motor speech disorders, the core challenge is not hearing or understanding language — it's coordinating the complex muscle movements required to produce speech. PROMPT directly addresses this by providing physical input that helps the brain learn these motor patterns.
How PROMPT Works
Motor Speech Evaluation
The therapist assesses your child's motor speech system — including jaw, lip, and tongue control — to identify the specific movement patterns that need support.
Tactile Cues
During therapy, the therapist places their hands on the child's face and jaw to provide precise touch cues that guide the correct movement sequences for targeted sounds and words.
Hierarchical Goals
Treatment follows a systematic hierarchy — starting with foundational motor control (jaw stability) and building toward more complex movements (lip rounding, tongue elevation, connected speech).
Functional Communication
Goals focus on real words and phrases that your child needs in daily life, ensuring therapy translates directly into meaningful communication improvement.
Who Benefits from PROMPT?
PROMPT therapy is evidence-based and may benefit children with:
- Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS)
- Motor speech disorders
- Articulation disorders with a motor component
- Down syndrome
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Cerebral palsy
- Other conditions affecting oral motor control
Why Choose a Certified PROMPT Therapist?
PROMPT certification requires specialized training beyond a standard speech-language pathology degree. Laura Friedman has completed the PROMPT Institute's certification program, which includes intensive coursework, supervised clinical practice, and demonstrated competency in applying PROMPT techniques.
Not all speech therapists are trained in PROMPT, and research suggests that children with motor speech disorders achieve better outcomes with therapists who have specialized motor speech training. Choosing a certified PROMPT therapist means your child receives treatment from a clinician with verified expertise in this approach.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Schedule a free consultation to discuss whether PROMPT therapy may be right for your child.