Australia’s First CAS Mentorship Program for Speech Pathologists

This is more than a course — it’s a structured mentorship program for speech pathologists who want to confidently and effectively treat Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). Led by Olga Komadina, a speech pathologist with a full-time CAS caseload of 20+ sessions per week, this program is grounded in real therapy, not just theory.

Over the past year, Olga has supervised 12 speech pathologists across Australia and provided group supervision to entire clinics. She also facilitates a national CAS peer supervision group — which sparked the need for a deeper, more consistent mentoring option.

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What’s Included

• Monthly live Q&A sessions (Australian time zones)

• 12 structured learning modules released in sequence

• Private moderated Facebook group for discussion and peer support

• Short-form feedback between sessions — including the option to submit session videos for review and receive voice or video replies from Olga

• Support with NDIS advocacy and report writing

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Optional Add-Ons

• Individual supervision sessions

• Joint telehealth sessions with your clients

• Report review and feedback (Subject to availability)

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Why Six Months?

This model mirrors the Apraxia Kids Advanced Training Boot Camp in the U.S., which includes six months of mentorship following initial training. Research and clinical experience show that true confidence in CAS therapy builds through guided observation, feedback, and real-world practice — not just one-off webinars.

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🧠 Learning Modules

Each module connects research to real-life application, with real therapy walkthroughs and clinical reflection.

You’ll learn how to:

• Engage a reluctant child in the first session

• Have a successful first session almost every time

• Confidently choose and adapt your therapy target words

• Confidently move up and down the CAS cueing hierarchy in-session

• Deliver engaging, play-based CAS sessions that remain flexible and responsive to each child’s needs

• Use neuroaffirming strategies that keep the child engaged and regulated

• Learn how to support children with suspected CAS to become ready for therapy

• Work with later-stage CAS and teens

• Deliver standout sessions with techniques most therapists haven’t been taught

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Module 1

• Syllable Shapes & Motor Planning Principles

• Understand motor learning, work out the child’s phonemic repertoire, and build speech from the ground up

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Module 2

• Real Therapy Session: Severe CAS

• 30-minute session with commentary — see cueing, co-regulation, and pacing when progress is slow

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Module 3

• Initial CAS Assessment & Diagnosis

• Learn how to build rapport and select first targets — including how to adapt formal assessments for very young children or those unable to complete standardised testing

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Module 4

• Progress Notes and Tracking Progress

• Learn how to document therapy goals, capture change over time, and write notes that support planning and funding

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Module 5

• Real Therapy Session: Moderate CAS

• Target setting, generalisation, and establishing later-developing sounds and complex syllable shapes (including sentences and clusters)

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Module 6

• Prosody: The Overlooked Target

• Shape natural stress, rhythm, and intonation in connected speech

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Module 7

• Real Therapy Session: Mild CAS

• Therapy in later stages — carryover, prosody, and addressing residual sound errors

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Module 8

• Special Considerations

• Support co-occurring needs like autism, sensory processing, and regulation — while staying true to CAS principles

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Module 9

• Motivation & Engagement

• Keep therapy fast-paced and fun — even with hard-to-engage or avoidant clients

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Module 10

• Report Writing as an Advocacy Tool for CAS

• Learn how to write strong, purposeful reports that communicate CAS clearly and advocate for appropriate supports — including tips for NDIS, schools, and other funding bodies

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Module 11

• Motor Speech Approaches

• Compare DTTC, ReST, Kaufman and more. Understand the principles behind each and when to integrate them

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Module 12

• Supporting Regulation and Emotional Needs in Sessions

  Watch a full real-life session with a tricky client from start to finish — including how to adapt when things don’t go to plan, support regulation, and still get meaningful practice done

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📘 About the CAS Therapy Handbook

This mentorship follows the same structured framework outlined in Olga’s Apraxia CAS Therapy Handbook: Live Examples, a 40+ page clinical guide designed for speech pathologists seeking clarity and confidence in treating CAS. It includes:

✔️ Clear guidance on assessment and target selection
✔️ Techniques to move children from effortful to automatic speech
✔️ Strategies for children with both CAS and autism, through a neuroaffirming lens
✔️ Visual cueing tools, sentence-level strategies, and reference charts

Available for purchase in the Resources section of this website.

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About Olga

Olga Komadina is a speech pathologist with 20+ years’ experience and a specialist focus on Childhood Apraxia of Speech.

She:

• Runs a full-time CAS caseload

• Supervises individual speech pathologists and clinics

• Facilitates a national CAS peer supervision group each month

• Co-founded the Facebook group Apraxia NDIS Support and Advocacy

• Has co-authored position statements submitted to the NDIS and government

• IIn 2025, she completed the 4-day CAS Bootcamp in Brisbane, presented by Dr Maryane Gomez, Dr Patricia McCabe, Dr Donna Thomas, and Evyenia (Nia) Michellis. 

• Olga received 1:1 mentorship from David Hammer, the former Director of Professional Development at Apraxia Kids, the leading U.S. nonprofit dedicated to Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). He helped establish and run the highly regarded Intensive CAS Bootcamp, designed for speech pathologists with expertise in CAS. He travelled from the U.S.A. to work with her at Max’s House. Olga’s supervision and mentorship from David Hammer included live observation of her therapy sessions, real-time coaching, demonstration of therapy techniques, and feedback tailored specifically to her caseload and clinical approach, over the course of a full week.

She also:

• Learned through observing CAS specialists at Max’s House early in her career

• Spent 15 years working at Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) — gaining deep experience supporting children with autism and CAS

• Received training in Positive Behaviour Support

• Regularly presents to therapists, educators, GPs, and maternal child health nurses

• Her clients include both local face-to-face families and telehealth clients across Australia and overseas. Her aim is to lift the standard of CAS therapy nationally by sharing what she’s learned.

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📅 Monthly Membership

This mentorship runs as a monthly membership, allowing you to join anytime and stay for as long as you need.

Your membership includes:

• Monthly live Q&A sessions (Australian time zones)

• 12 structured learning modules released in sequence

• Private moderated Facebook group for discussion and peer support

• Short-form feedback between sessions — including the option to submit session videos for review and receive voice or video replies from Olga

• Support with NDIS advocacy and report writing

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Terms

• $97/month (plus GST)

• Billed automatically each month

• Cancel any time before the next billing cycle

• No refunds for mid-month cancellations

• If you leave and return later, your place may not be guaranteed if the group is full

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Optional Add-Ons

• Individual supervision sessions

• Joint telehealth sessions with your clients

• Report review and feedback (Subject to availability)

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🚀 Ready to Join?

This program is ideal for speech pathologists who:

• Have at least one CAS client and want to build clinical confidence
• Want structure, feedback, and accountability over time
• Learn best through real examples and responsive support

Spots are limited.

👇 Register your interest or contact Olga to learn more.​​​​​​​​​​​​​