If you’ve ever evaluated a student in speech therapy and thought, “This isn’t a typical phonological delay… but what now?”—this episode is for you.

In this episode of The Pedi Speechie, we’re breaking down the Dynamic Evaluation of Motor Speech Skills (DEMSS)—what it is, when to use it, and how to actually administer it without overwhelm. Whether you’re a school-based speech-language pathologist or a speech therapy graduate student dipping your toe into differential diagnosis, this conversation will help you feel more confident in identifying childhood apraxia of speech (CAS).

We’ll cover:

• What CAS actually looks like in real life
• When DEMSS is an appropriate tool
• How to cue, score, and take notes using the DEMSS format
• Sample evaluation report language
• How Dr. Edythe Strand’s DTTC (Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing) approach can support your therapy planning

👉 Watch the free DTTC training videos by Dr. Strand on YouTube: DTTC on YouTube

👉 Purchase the DEMSS manual from Brookes Publishing: https://brookespublishing.com/product/demss/?srsltid=AfmBOopIAHos9Lup1Vt9NLBNPthKxJyvH3n79G2N9Ew9OsLLTnNW5heJ

👉 Read my full blog post on evaluating for CAS: Evaluating CAS Step-by-Step: https://thepedispeechie.com/2023/06/how-to-do-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-evaluation.html

Please note: I am in no way affiliated with the DEMSS, Dr. Edythe Strand, or Brookes Publishing. This episode is intended to share tips and insights from a school-based SLP perspective.