What is children’s Apraxia of speech? Apraxia of speech is when a child finds it difficult to move their tongue and mouth to speak. The child may want to speak and their muscles in their tongue and mouth are physically able to form words.
Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder. Where the child knows what they want to say, but they have difficulty coordinating the movement of their muscles to say words.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) explains it like this::
In order for speech to occur, messages need to go from your brain to your mouth. These messages tell the muscles how and when to move to make sounds. When a child has apraxia of speech, the messages do not get through correctly.
The child might not be able to move their lips or tongue in the right ways, even though their muscles are not weak. Sometimes, the child might not be able to say much at all
Symptoms and signs
All children are different, and this is also true with childhood apraxia of speech. A child may show just a few signs, while others may show more. According to ASHA, if your child is 3 years or older and has some or all of the signs below, you should talk with a speech therapist.
does not always say words the same way every time;
tends to put the stress on the wrong syllable or word;
distorts or changes sounds; or
can say shorter words more clearly than longer words.
Children with CAS may have other problems, including
difficulty with fine motor skills;
delayed language; or
problems with reading, spelling, and writing.
How childhood apraxia of speech is treated
The first step is getting evaluated by a pediatric speech-language therapist. A therapist will listen to your child, observe how they move their tongue, jaw, and lips. Depending on the age, test their language skills. For instance, listen to them tell a story or see how well they follow directions.
If you suspect your child has a speech -language disorder, early intervention makes all the difference. At First Words Speech Therapy we are dedicated to meeting your child’s speech and language disorder with personalized care. As a mobile service, we are able to render therapy in your child’s natural environment.
