Originally Published January 2017, Reviewed and Updated April 2026
If your child is difficult to understand or has been diagnosed with a motor speech disorder like apraxia, you may be looking for the most effective treatment approaches. One of the most powerful, specialized techniques we use at Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center is PROMPT therapy.
This guide answers the most common questions parents have about this unique, hands-on approach.
What is PROMPT Therapy?
PROMPT is a therapeutic technique used by speech-language pathologists to help children with speech production disorders. It uses touch cues on the child’s face (jaw, lips, tongue) to guide their muscles through the movements needed to produce sounds. It is a tactile-kinesthetic approach, meaning it helps the child feel how sounds are made.
What does the acronym PROMPT stand for?
PROMPT is an acronym for Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets. This clinical-sounding name simply means the therapist uses physical cues to help a child’s brain and muscles learn the specific movements required for clear speech.
How does PROMPT therapy work?
A PROMPT-trained therapist uses their hands to apply gentle pressure to a child’s face, manually guiding their jaw, lips, and tongue into the correct positions for a target sound, word, or phrase. This physical guidance helps the child’s brain develop the motor control and sequencing for speech, essentially building a blueprint for how to talk.
You can see an example of what PROMPT therapy looks like in this PROMPT Institute video.
Which children are good candidates for PROMPT?
PROMPT is an effective approach for a wide range of communication disorders, but it is particularly beneficial for children with motor speech disorders. This includes:
- Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)
- Severe Articulation Disorders
- Dysarthria
- Children who are non-verbal or have very limited verbal output
Why is specialized training required for PROMPT?
PROMPT is a complex and precise technique that requires extensive, specialized training. Therapists must attend intensive workshops through The PROMPT Institute to become certified. This ensures the cues are applied correctly and safely to achieve the best possible outcomes.
This is not a technique that should ever be attempted without proper training.
How to Get Started with PROMPT Therapy
At Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center, our speech-language pathologists are PROMPT-trained and integrate this technique with a variety of other evidence-based methods to meet your child’s specific needs. If you believe your child could benefit from our speech-language therapy services, the first step is a comprehensive evaluation.
We are passionate about helping every child find their voice. Please contact us to schedule a consultation.
About the Author
Sonia Strueby, M.A., CCC-SLP, is the founder of Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center. With over 25 years of experience as a speech-language pathologist, Sonia has dedicated her career to helping children overcome complex communication and academic challenges. She has advanced training and a special focus on treating dyslexia and childhood apraxia of speech, and she is passionate about providing families with a clear path to success.
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