Bondar Speech

Bondar Speech Pediatric speech therapy. Specializing in apraxia, and other speech sound disorders.

06/17/2026

SLPs don’t just do one type of therapy—and that’s exactly what makes our work so powerful.

Every client has different needs, which means the approach we choose matters when it comes to real, meaningful progress.
Here’s a simple breakdown of language vs. motor therapy👇

Language-Based Therapy�▪️ Vocabulary development�▪️ Grammar + sentence structure�▪️ Comprehension�▪️ Expressing ideas clearly

Motor-Based Therapy�▪️ Repeated, targeted practice�▪️ Structured cueing�▪️ Principles of motor learning

The key isn’t just knowing both approaches—it’s knowing when to use each one.
That’s where many clinicians feel stuck.

I just published a new blog post that breaks it all down so you can confidently choose the right approach for your clients. Check it out below.

https://www.bondarspeech.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-language-based-therapy-and-motor-based-therapy

06/14/2026

🧐 How do we choose target words for apraxia therapy?

We start with meaningful power words—words that actually help a child communicate
and practice them during functional, motivating play 🎲✨

Apraxia therapy is about working with stimulable sounds and building syllables and words from what the child can already produce 🗣️
�That sound might be an early one like /b/ or a later-developing sound like /s/.

Too often, apraxia therapy is described as focusing on one group of sounds (like bilabials /m, b, p/) even when the child doesn’t actually have those sounds in their repertoire.

👉 Motor speech skills improve when we work with sounds the child already has. This is how we strengthen movement sequences and increase functional verbal communication.

Click the link below for a handout with more information on choosing words for minimally verbal children. https://www.bondarspeech.com/opt-in-fa903426-8ba4-4297-a141-05e19f2e8339

06/12/2026

Minimal pairs are a powerful tool for treating phonological pattern disorders, but there’s an important first step!

👄 Before starting with minimal pairs, the child needs to be able to accurately produce the motor movements for those sounds.

✨ All speech is motor!

When a child can consistently produce each sound, we can then use minimal pairs to help them understand how changing one sound changes the meaning of a word (e.g., tea ➡️ key).

🏗️ First build the movement.�🔗 Then build the meaning.

Both pieces matter, but motor accuracy provides the foundation. 💙

Children with CAS may have more difficulty with the movement. They will need more practice to learn the movement of the target sound and to sequence that sound to produce words.

Don’t forget to use principles of motor learning in conjunction with linguistic treatment. Both are necessary.

If you are struggling with a client, this may be the key!!

https://www.bondarspeech.com/blog/principles-of-motor-learning

04/30/2026

Variable practice is key for generalization in apraxia therapy! ✨

Here's how some ideas for including variability in your apraxia practice.
😊 Vary prosody (intonation, stress, rhythm)�😊 Use words with different syllable shapes�😊 Practice more than one word or phrase within a block.

🌟 Bonus tip: Variability helps reduce overgeneralization!

Here is more information about using principles of motor learning in your speech sound disorder sessions. https://www.bondarspeech.com/blog/principles-of-motor-learning

04/28/2026

There is no downside to using principles of motor learning. Many therapists get stuck with the fact that they cannot make a definitive diagnosis of CAS and therefore continue doing the treatment that is not successful. I have a mini course for $29 that will explain in detail my clinical decision making process for diagnosing suspected apraxia of speech. https://www.bondarspeech.com/offers/rQ8ej6QJ

04/27/2026

🌀 Struggling in apraxia therapy? Here's what to watch for! 🌀

Working on movement is the foundation of apraxia therapy.

🧒🏻 When children understand movement-based directions, it helps them acquire new motor plans.

👄 For vowel distortions, focus on movement:�➡️ Opening the mouth too wide or not wide enough can distort the sound.�➡️ Insufficient lip rounding or retraction can also impact vowel clarity.
➡️ Child omits the final sound? Work on the movement for the final sound and then use chaining to connect it

🫦 Segmentation happens when a child doesn’t stay in the movement long enough before transitioning to the next sound.


https://www.bondarspeech.com/blog/it's%20all%20about%20the%20movement

04/21/2026

Want more reps in your apraxia speech therapy sessions? Hiding toys are a total game changer. Kids LOVE the surprise factor and when they're engaged, you get their attention and repetitions.
POWER WORDS: OPEN, HIDE, BYE, HIS, IN OUT, CLOSE, SLEEP, AWAY....

You can hide it in one hand, choose between hands or the child hides it in their hands. Learn more about toys in speech / apraxia therapy ➡️ https://www.bondarspeech.com/blog/my-favorite-toys-for-apraxia-therapy

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Marine Park
Brooklyn, NY
11234

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+19172327845

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