In Darley's articulatory kinematic approach, therapy begins with which action sequence?

• A. Initiating speech activities followed by automatic responses
• B. Isolating phonemes first
• C. Silent practicing
• D. Exclusive use of counting tasks

Answer: (A)

The main idea is to reestablish the motor plan for speech by guiding the patient through a progression that starts with launching speech acts and then uses automatic, overlearned productions. Beginning with initiating speech activities gives a clear cue and scaffold for triggering the correct movements of the lips, tongue, and jaw. Once these initiations can be produced reliably, therapy moves to automatic responses—productions that are highly practiced and require less conscious planning—so the brain can lock in the timing and sequencing of articulators. This builds a bridge from deliberate, effortful speech to more automatic output and sets the stage for later progression to more precise, phoneme-level work. Isolating phonemes first focuses on individual sounds before engaging the broader motor sequence; silent practice lacks audible feedback to shape motor timing; and relying only on counting tasks doesn’t address the initiation and coordinated articulator movement necessary for natural speech.