Meeting the challenge of suspected developmental apraxia of speech through inclusion.

An inclusion classroom is proposed as a service delivery model for children with severe intelligibility problems (often diagnosed as developmental apraxia of speech or DAS). This full-day year-round kindergarten classroom was developed through a partnership involving university faculty and school district personnel interested in the assessment and treatment options for these children. The classroom is unique in that it pairs children with phonological disorders with individuals who have speech and language behaviors that are typically developing. In addition, a speech-language pathologist is teamed with a regular kindergarten teacher for instructional purposes. Academic information is presented along with activities designed to improve speech production capabilities. This article first discusses clinical issues associated with identifying and treating DAS. Then aspects of program development are presented, including the successes and areas for improvement identified since this classroom's existence. Copyright (c) 1999 by Aspen Publishers, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]