How Do You Identify Childhood Apraxia Of Speech?

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is an uncommon speech disorder. Many times, children are born with it. When a child has CAS, it means that they have difficulties making sounds and words. They can't quite get the brain to tell the mouth what to do. This is due to an issue with their motor coordination. The child can't quite coordinate the way the muscles in the mouth move in the absence of muscular weakness.

Normally, when a child attempts to articulate sounds, the brain sends a signal to the various muscles that control a child's speech (e.g. lips, face, and tongue). With most children, this process works perfectly. The child can move the mouth in the way the child wants to move it. When a child has apraxia of speech, things are different. 

When children have CAS, the brain sends the 'wrong' signals. Think of the neural pathways from brain to muscles like a highway. When CAS is present, this highway has a lot of traffic, road blocks, and speed bumps. 

Even if the child knows exactly the words that he or she wants to say, the brain has difficulty controlling the right muscles. This can lead to the wrong words being said or, more commonly, unclear words. 

This condition is not a delayed development of speech or an intellectual disorder on its own. It can be mild to severe and needs to be treated through speech therapy. 

The Causes Of Childhood Apraxia Of Speech

Unfortunately, research hasn't fully worked out what causes apraxia of speech. It could be an issue with the way the brain is sending signals to the muscles. In most cases, childhood apraxia of speech is likely to come with other conditions. This includes:

• Epilepsy
  
• Autism
  
• Cerebral Palsy
  
• Galactosemia

Childhood apraxia of speech could also be an indicator of neuromuscular disorder or various intellectual disabilities. This is why many parents will head to specialists for diagnosis.

After all, if another condition is at play, it means that the condition will need to be considered too. Research indicates that childhood

apraxia of speech may be a genetic condition as it often runs in families. 

The Symptoms of Childhood Apraxia of Speech

Because childhood apraxia of speech has a range of severity, the symptoms will not always present themselves in the same way. Some parents may not even realize that their child has apraxia.

Here are some of the signs and symptoms:

A child will:

• Show a slower than typical rate of speech
  
• Struggle to combine sounds 
  
• Constantly put the sounds of words in the wrong order.
  
• Make constant errors when asked to repeat sounds, but they will rarely be the same errors.
  
• Demonstrate “articulatory groping”-trying to make the sound but nothing comes out
  
• Often understand the language very well, but struggle to repeat it back.
  
• Tend to put the wrong stress on the wrong word
  
• Find it easier to say shorter words but not longer words

In addition to this, there may be other symptoms that may not necessarily be tied to childhood apraxia of speech but often occur with CAS. These include issues with chewing or swallowing, motor delays, motor clumsiness, and sensory overload. 

Speech therapy can help your child. Most SLPS recommend 3-5 days per week of therapy for moderate to severe CAS.

Diagnosing Childhood Apraxia of Speech

Because several conditions could share symptoms with childhood apraxia of speech, a child must be correctly diagnosed. This means making an appointment with a speech-language pathologist (SLP). In most cases, a parent will need to go through the pediatrician to get a referral.

During the diagnosis process, the parent will be asked about the child's medical history. They will also be asked to share the symptoms that they have noticed. The SLP may even wish to talk to the child.

Remember, the SLP is not just here to diagnose childhood apraxia of speech. They are looking for other speech development issues too. 

The Treatment Of Childhood Apraxia

Depending on the reasons behind childhood apraxia of speech, the conditions may be treatable. This includes articulation therapy, orofacial myofunctional therapy, and the use of PROMPT.

A child will need to work one-on-one with a therapist. This is because the treatment needs to be tailored specifically to the needs of the child. The key to treating a child with CAS is repetition, repetition, repetition!

In some cases, your child may be taught other communication methods (e.g., sign language or using pictures) while he or she is learning to improve verbal speech. The research shows that use of these types of alternative and augmentative communication methods HELP children to develop verbal speech. It also gives the child a way to communicate while they are improving verbal speech to decrease frustration and improve the child and family’s quality of life.

Living With Apraxia Of Speech

At some point, maybe not right away, your child's therapist will give you techniques to help your child work on his or her speech. You must participate in the parent “homework” to ensure the best possible outcomes for your child.

It is also important that you do not pressure your child too much. Remember, they want to speak. They just can't. Be patient and supportive. If you or your child see progress, no matter how small, encourage them. “Nice trying!” “I love how you moved your mouth!”

Believe Your Child Has Childhood Apraxia of Speech? Your Next Steps

If you believe that your child has childhood apraxia of speech, then talk to an SLP. An SLP can diagnose and help to treat the problem. Therapy and Learning Center of GA employes several speech therapists who are trained in PROMPT and other methodologies to help children with CAS. Click to learn more about the speech therapists at TLC Georgia.