Evidence from motor-learning studies indicates that different methods can interact in a variety of ways and differently affect many different aspects of speech motor (verbal) learning. While some studies have directly explored these methods in speech language (verbal) motor (re) training, there is also strong evidence that these techniques hold promise for treatment of nonverbal motor speech disorder patients.
Some studies have been done with children whose verbal learning has been affected by speech pathology. Studies using neuropsychological tests, such as the Verbal Learning Index, indicate that children with NVC have significantly lower VLGI scores than children without NVC. The same tests show that NVC patients have significantly slower recovery from motor difficulties associated with motor speech disorder .
It has been shown that NVC patients and nonverbal learning systems interact in ways that can be used to treat both types of patients. Studies using the Children’s Mental-Domain System indicate that NVC patients are particularly receptive to psycholinguistic treatments when psycholinguistic therapies are used to modify speech production skills. Studies examining the relationship between psycholinguistic interventions, motor skills and speech motor learning suggest that this relationship is more complex than it may at first appear.
When motor problems are present, some patients respond better to psycholinguistic treatments than others, while others may respond best to both psycholinguistic treatments and motor training. This suggests that treatment of motor disorders should also include treatment of motor speech disorders, although no direct causal relationship between speech and motor skills has yet been established. It has been reported that patients with NVC often respond well to psycholinguistic treatments, but that some patients respond to motor training as well as psycholinguistic therapy.
As motor language disorders are usually mild, treatment of nonverbal motor language disorders may include psycholinguistic training combined with motor training in addition to or instead of psycholinguistic therapy. It is important to remember, however, that psycholinguistic therapy and motor training cannot work in isolation. {and that if motor skills are not corrected in combination with psycholinguistic skills, motor problems may become worse. {see that speech and motor problem problems are often co-related and may also lead to speech and motor problem. Other studies examining psycholinguistic therapy as part of treatment of motor speech disorders also report improved performance on neuropsychological tests in some patients.
Treatment of Speech Disorders by psycholinguistic treatments may help speech and motor problems co-exist, and it may be possible that psycholinguistic treatments can treat both speech and motor disorders simultaneously. Research is still being done to explore the impact of psycholinguistic therapy and motor training for patients with NVC and other speech and motor disorders; therefore, until further research is completed, it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions about which method is more effective for treatment of speech and motor disorders. Contact njspeechpathologist.com for more about this.