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Childhood Apraxia of Speech

Childhood Apraxia of Speech

What is Childhood Apraxia of Speech?

Childhood Apraxia of speech or CAS is a type of speech disorder that is present at birth.  Someone with CAS has difficulty executing the movements required to sequence sounds within syllables and words.  CAS affects the brain pathways involved with sending signals to the speech muscles of the jaw, lips, and tongue.  In most children, these signals work effectively and the child can sequence sounds into words and words into phrases correctly and consistently.  A child that suffers from CAS has a brain that struggles to sequence and execute the required speech movements.  So, in effect, someone who has CAS knows what they want to say, has speech muscles that work appropriately, but their brain has difficulty sending the correct signals to the muscles to execute movement sequences necessary for speech.  Childhood Apraxia of Speech is not a speech delay, because with a speech delay the child follows a normal path to speech development, it just takes longer than normal. Those that have CAS can experience a mild or severe case, but the child will not outgrow it over time and requires skilled intervention.  Childhood Apraxia of speech is uncommon and affects boys more than girls.

 

What Are the Causes of Childhood Apraxia of Speech?

What may cause Childhood Apraxia of Speech is still relatively unknown.  Some researchers think it is related to the overall development of a child’s speech patterns.  Others firmly believe the problem lies with the child’s brain, and its ability to send signals to the muscles needed for speech.  Studies with imaging tests have not revealed any noticeable differences in the brain structure of children with CAS.  Some think that CAS is caused by genetics because many children that have been diagnosed also have a family member with a communication disorder.  Also, a child may have a predisposition to CAS if other members of its family have learning disabilities.  Childhood Apraxia of Speech is sometimes present in children with other underlying medical concerns such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, or neuromuscular disorders; however, CAS is also found in children with no other diagnosis.

 

Symptoms of Childhood Apraxia of Speech

There are a few distinguishing characteristics of Childhood Apraxia of Speech.  For instance, a child may have difficulty with correct placement of their jaw or tongue, which causes the words, especially the vowel sounds, to sound distorted.  The distortions can impact how clear the words sound.

 

Also, a child with CAS frequently makes inconsistent speech errors.  One day a child may struggle to say a word correctly, another day the child may stay the word incorrectly in a different way, but the next day the child may say the word correctly.  Longer and complex words are more difficult to pronounce that short simple words.  Productions may also be more consistent when the child is saying the word automatically, as in counting or singing a familiar song.  But when the child is asked to say a word on demand the attempts may be more inconsistent.  A child with CAS may struggle and grope for the right sound in the word they are trying to say.  Sometimes, they may have to try a couple of times to get it right.

​A child may exhibit differences in the rhythm and inflection of their voice when trying to talk.  They might omit syllables in certain words or phrases, or pause at an awkward time while speaking.  It should be noted that children with CAS understand language way better than they can speak it.

 

 

How is Childhood Apraxia of Speech Diagnosed?

A childhood apraxia of speech diagnosis should be given cautiously.  There is still much unknown about this disorder and diagnosis can be very tricky.  This condition is very rare and many children are being given this diagnosis when they really just have a severe phonological or articulation disorder.  A certified speech-language pathologist is capable of making a CAS diagnosis since they have special training and experience with this population.

 

Treating Childhood Apraxia of Speech

Apraxia is not a condition that a child simply outgrows. If your child has apraxia of speech, he or she will not adhere to typical patterns of development without treatment. For this reason, diagnosing and treating CAS at an early stage is crucial.

If your child is having speech problems, seek an evaluation from a trained speech language pathologist. Often a combination of testing your child’s hearing, oral-motor skills, speech melody, and overall speech capability is needed to determine if your child requires therapy.

The goal of treatment is to help your child communicate more clearly. To accomplish this, speech pathologists will help your child learn how to plan movements and make those movements at the right time. This requires exercises to strengthen muscles and extensive, regular practice.

At Achieve Pediatric Therapy, we specialize in speech therapy for kids. Contact us today to schedule an evaluation with a pediatric speech language pathologist.

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Thanks for making this topic accessible. illplaywithyou

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