Apraxia of Speech

Apraxia of speech is a motor-speech programming disorder resulting in difficulty executing and/or coordinating (sequencing) the oral-motor movements necessary to produce and combine speech sounds (phonemes) to form syllables, words, phrases and sentences on voluntary (rather than only reflexive) control.  Many children are able to hear words, and are able to understand what they mean, but they can’t change what they hear into the fine-motor skill of combining consonants and vowels to form words. This difficulty combining consonants and vowels into words upon direct imitation is called apraxia of speech.  The severity of apraxia of speech can range from mild to severe.  

Children with developmental apraxia of speech generally can understand language much better than they are able to use language to express themselves. Some children with the disorder may also have other problems. These can include oral-motor weakness or dysarthria (a speech disorder that is due to a weakness or incoordination of the speech muscles; language problems such as poor vocabulary, incorrect grammar, and difficulty in clearly organizing spoken information; problems with reading, writing, spelling, or math; coordination or "motor-skill" problems and chewing and swallowing difficulties. Without guidance these children often stop attempting to speak or verbalize patterns at rudimentary levels below that of which they are capable. This can further delay progress and cause frustration which may later develop into varying degrees of social and/or behavioral problems.  

Apraxia of speech is treatable with the appropriate techniques. Speech-language pathologists play a key role in diagnosing and treating apraxia of speech. It is not just a simple articulation or phonological disorder. There are several different approaches to treating apraxia of speech as no single approach has been proven to be the most effective. The program assigned will vary depending on the severity of the apraxia and the age of the child. The Kaufman Speech Praxis Treatment for developmental verbal apraxia is a highly effective program currently being used by Dr. Grossman and her staff of speech-language pathologists. The tool has proven to be a successful instrument in the evaluation of apraxia, determining treatment goals, and providing effective therapy. This is done through drill, structured and spontaneous conversation, and play using cues, prompts, and support.