There is no cure for DVD/CAS, but with appropriate, intensive intervention, people with the disorder can improve significantly. DVD/CAS requires various forms of therapy which varies with the individual needs of the patient. Typically, treatment involves one-on-one therapy with a speech language pathologist (SLP). In children with DVD/CAS, consistency is a key element in treatment. Consistency in the form of communication, as well as the development and use of oral communication are extremely important in aiding a child's speech learning process. Many therapy approaches are not supported by thorough evidence; however, the aspects of treatment that do seem to be agreed upon are the following: * Treatment needs to be intense and highly individualized, with about 3–5 therapy sessions each week * A maximum of 30 minutes per session is best for young children * Principles of motor learning theory and intense speech-motor practice seem to be the most effective * Non-speech oral motor therapy is not necessary or sufficient * A multi-sensory approach to therapy may be beneficial: using sign language, pictures, tactile cues, visual prompts, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can be helpful. Although these aspects of treatment are supported by much clinical documentation, they lack evidence from systematic research studies. In ASHA's position statement on DVD/CAS, ASHA states there is a critical need for collaborative, interdisciplinary, and programmatic research on the neural substrates, behavioral correlates, and treatment options for DVD/CAS. Integral stimulation One technique that is frequently used to treat DVD/CAS is integral stimulation. Integral stimulation is based on cognitive motor learning, focusing on the cognitive motor planning needed for the complex motor task of speech. It is often referred to as the "watch me, listen, do as I do" approach and is founded on a multi-step hierarchy of strategies for treatment. This hierarchy of strategies allows the clinician to alter treatment depending upon the needs of the child. It uses various modalities of presentation, emphasizing the auditory and visual modes. Experts suggest that extensive practice and experience with the new material is key, so hundreds of target stimuli should be elicited in a single session. Furthermore, distributed (shorter, but more frequent) and random treatment, which mix target and non-target utterances, produces greater overall learning. The six steps of the hierarchy upon which integral stimulation therapy for children is loosely organized are: * "The child watches and listens and simultaneously produces the stimulus with the clinician. * The clinician models, then the child repeats the stimulus while the clinician simultaneously mouths it. * The clinician models and provides cues and the child repeats. * The clinician models and the child repeats with no cues provided. * The clinician elicits the stimulus without modeling, such as by asking a question, with the child responding spontaneously. * The child produces stimuli in less-directed situations with clinician encouragement, such as in role-play or games". Integrated phonological approach Another treatment strategy that has been shown to have positive effects is an integrated phonological approach. This approach "incorporates targeted speech production practice into phonological awareness activities and uses letters and phonological cues to prompt speech production". McNeill, Gillon, & Dodd studied 12 children ages 4–7 with DVD/CAS who were treated with this approach two times a week for two six-week blocks of time (separated by a six-week withdrawal block). They found positive effects for most of the children in the areas of speech production, phonological awareness, word decoding, letter knowledge, and spelling. These results show that it is clinically productive to target speech production, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, spelling, and reading all at once. This is particularly important since children with DVD/CAS often have continuous problems with reading and spelling, even if their production of speech improves.
Developmental verbal dyspraxia
Nonverbal autism
Selective mutism
Klismaphilia
Trichothiodystrophy
Tardive dysmentia
Multiple complex developmental disorder
Zellweger spectrum disorders