VAST: Autism and Apraxia
VAST Pre-Speech
VAST Songs
VAST Autism & Apraxia
VAST Speech Series
"This unique app combines research and best practices. Quite frankly I have been surprised by the response of my clients. One of my preschoolers with Autism went from scratching and biting to being calm, climbing up in my lap totally engaged and making attempts at verbalizations."
- Phyllis S. Watson MS, CCC- SLP
VAST: Autism & Apraxia therapy series was designed for individuals on the spectrum who are non-verbal or have minimal verbal skills due to a motor speech planning disorder such as apraxia. This app combines the highly effective concept of video modeling with written words and auditory cues to help individuals acquire relevant words, phrases, and sentences so that they can speak for themselves. The VAST videos have been highly effective in encouraging individuals with autism to attend to a communication partner's mouth and articulators in the natural environment. For children and individuals with strong visual skills, this series of apps can be a key to developing speech.
VAST: Autism and Apraxia - CAS
VAST-Autism combines the highly effective concept of video modeling with written words and auditory cues to help individuals acquire relevant words, phrases, and sentences so that they can speak for themselves. For children and individuals with strong visual skills, this can be a key to developing speech.
Videos are organized into a hierarchy of 5 categories, beginning with syllables and ending with sentences. Each video gives a spoken target utterance that is preceded by the written word(s). Each word, phrase and sentence is concrete and has meaning that can be generalized and practiced throughout the day. Providing the written word will prevent a student from incorrectly assigning meaning to a picture: such as a frog jumping as "go." The ability to recognize the written target word(s) will increase functional communication and enhance acquisition of spoken language.
Video Modeling is an Evidence Based Practice
A significant amount of research has shown video modeling to be rapid and highly effective not only in teaching new behaviors, but also in generalizing and maintaining these behaviors as well.
VAST: Video - Assisted Speech Therapy
"I am a PreK Speech-Language Pathologist and have had tremendous success with students who will not attend to and/or imitate a verbal model."
- early intervention speech pathologist
VAST Songs
VAST-Songs supplements the accepted use of singing in speech therapy by providing extra cueing: simultaneously hearing the song while following the oral movements. The application was designed to accommodate and then challenge individuals with speech production or fluency problems
Video Modeling With Music to Support
Speech Therapy
VAST-Songs supplements the accepted use of singing in speech therapy by providing extra cueing: simultaneously hearing the song while following the oral movements. The application was designed to accommodate and then challenge individuals with speech production or fluency problems.
- Provides maximum auditory cuing through 4 layered audio tracks:
- Vocal melody, piano melody, rhythmic piano accompaniment, and a metronome.
- Audio support can be gradually decreased, promoting user independence
- Adjustable tempo of the songs – start at a pace that suits the user’s capabilities and increase over time
- Captions can be turned on to support literacy or off if distracting.
- User-adjusted settings are saved for each song
- A Mirror function (for devices with front-facing camera) to self-monitor and self-model.
- Written and video-based tutorials
provides a set of 21 song performances targeting music therapy for both children and adults.
The Mirror feature promotes oral motor sequencing and self-monitoring. Using a mirror while practicing speech sounds can provide visual feedback to help individuals improve their muscle coordination and sequencing for speech production.
Videos and pictures can be captured using the Mirror feature to provide additional self-modeling feedback. Having visual input can be crucial in the remediation of motor speech disorders.
"Not only a great app for clients, but very helpful in making sure I pronounce and model sounds correctly! The four tracks are incredibly useful, as is the tempo change. Great intro and explanation of the app, including some NMT background that is understandable by laymen. Nice job!"
-Kate, Music Therapy Intern
VAST Pre-Speech Motor Planning
Designed for individuals on the Autism spectrum who are non-verbal or have minimal verbal skills due to a motor speech planning disorder such as apraxia.
Children with apraxia of speech have difficulty planning speech movements of the tongue, lips, palate and jaw (articulators), hindering their development of verbal speech.
Video Modeling + Auditory Cues = Awarness
This app utilizes the highly effective concept of video modeling and auditory cues to promote awareness of oral structures, coordination, muscle grading, tone, chewing, the swallowing of food and saliva, and speech clarity; eventually working towards students gaining the ability to speak for themselves. In clinical trials, the VAST videos have been highly effective in increasing a child's ability to attend to a communication partner's mouth in the natural environment.
Address challenges with everyday activities such as:
- Blowing their nose
- Spitting out toothpaste
- Mastication and Pocketing food
- Imitating or making sounds
Custom Playlist
Create a custom playlist fits individual needs. For example, some children may be working on airflow or increasing awareness of oral structures while others are practicing bilabials in words and phrases. To create your custom playlist, simply label your list and tag the targets you want to practice.
"If you’ve met one individual with autism, you’ve met one individual with autism."
-Stephen Shore