OVERVIEW
What is Apraxia of Speech?
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), also known as Apraxia of Speech, is a rare neurological speech disorder that impacts a child’s ability to plan and coordinate the precise movements needed for clear speech. Unlike typical speech delays, children with CAS understand what they want to say but have difficulty forming the words due to impaired motor planning and sequencing.
Research indicates that CAS can co-occur with other conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and learning disabilities. Children with CAS may also experience challenges with fine motor skills, oral motor control, or sensory processing, further complicating their communication development.
Early identification and intervention by a speech-language pathologist are essential for managing CAS effectively. Tailored therapy focusing on repetition, motor planning, and multisensory techniques can help children build their communication skills. With the right support, children with CAS can make meaningful progress in their ability to express themselves.
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Diagnosis
A speech-language pathologist evaluates your child's condition by reviewing their symptoms and medical history. The speech-language pathologist also examines your child's speech muscles and how he or she creates speech sounds, words, and phrases.
Your child's speech-language pathologist may also examine their language skills, such as vocabulary, sentence structure, and speech comprehension.
A single test or observation is not sufficient to diagnose CAS. A apraxia diagnosis is determined based on the pattern of problems observed. The specific apraxia test used during the evaluation are determined by your child's age, cooperation level, and severity of the speech problem.
It can be difficult to diagnose CAS, especially when a kid speaks little or has difficulty communicating with the speech-language pathologist. Nonetheless, it is critical to determine whether your child exhibits childhood apraxia of speech symptoms because CAS is treated differently than other speech problems. Even if the apraxia diagnosis is not yet confirmed, your child's speech-language pathologist may be able to establish the appropriateapraxia of speech treatment plan for him or her.
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Risk Factors
Changes in the FOXP2 gene are thought to increase the likelihood of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) and other speech and language impairments. The FOXP2 gene may influence how specific neurons and pathways in the brain develop. Researchers continue to investigate how alterations in the FOXP2 gene affect motor coordination, speech, and language processing in the brain. Other genes may have an impact on motor speech development. There is no method to stop childhood apraxia speech. It is a neurological disorder related to brain development.
Apraxia is a neurological condition characterized by dysfunction in specific brain regions, most notably the parietal lobe. While certain disorders can cause this, brain damage to the parts of the brain that store memories of how to complete tasks that have been learnt is frequently the cause apraxia. Trauma to other parts of the brain can also result in apraxia. A brain tumor, dementia, stroke, and head trauma are among the illnesses that can apraxia causes.
Because certain cases of CAS are linked to genetic mutations, if you intend to become pregnant, consult your doctor about genetic testing to determine your risk of having a child with a genetic problem.
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Treatment
Children do not outgrow childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), but speech treatment can help them make the greatest development. Speech-language pathologists can treat CAS using a variety of interventions.
Speech therapy
Your child's speech-language pathologist will often conduct apraxia therapy that focuses on syllables, words, and phrases.
Depending on the severity of the speech issues, your kid may require apraxia of speech therapy three to five times a week. As your kid develops, the frequency of weekly speech therapy sessions may decrease.
Individual therapy is often beneficial for children with CAS. One-on-one apraxia treatment gives your child extra time to practice speech in each session. It's crucial that throughout each speech therapy session, kids with CAS practice pronouncing words and sentences a lot. Learning the proper manner to say words and sentences requires practice and patience.
Apraxia of speech therapy frequently concentrates your child's attention on the sound and feel of speech motions since children with CAS sometimes struggle with speech planning.
In speech treatment, speech-language pathologists may employ a variety of cues. For instance, the speech-language pathologist for your child might ask them to pay close attention. Additionally, your child can be asked to watch the speech-language pathologist construct the word or sentence with their mouth.
The speech-language pathologist for your child might also make facial gestures in response to specific sounds or words. A speech-language pathologist, for instance, could assist your child with rounding their lips to say "oo."
It has not been demonstrated that a single speech treatment strategy is the most successful in treating CAS. However, the following are some crucial tenets of speech therapy for CAS:
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Speech Exercises: During a therapy session, your child's speech-language pathologist could urge them to repeat words or phrases multiple times.
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Exercises with sound and movement: Your child may be asked to watch the speech-language pathologist's mouth while the professional speaks a word or phrase in addition to listening to them. Your child can observe the mouth movements associated with the sounds by observing the speech-language pathologist's mouth.
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Speaking exercise: Rather than isolating sounds, your youngster will probably practice syllables, words, or phrases. Children diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CAS) require experience transitioning between sounds.
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Practice making vowels: Kids with CAS often make distorted vowel sounds. Your child's speech-language pathologist might select words for them to practice that have vowels in various syllable forms. Your toddler might be asked to say things like "hi," "mine," and "bite." Or they might ask your child to say "down," "out," and "house."
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Paced learning: The speech-language pathologist may begin with a limited list of practice words, contingent on the severity of your child's speech impairment. As your youngster gets better, the amount of words for practice will probably be raised gradually.
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Tips for Parents
There are several learning curves in the road to providing support for a child who has Apraxia of Speech in adults and your kid. The following are constructive steps you can take to assist them:
● Be Patient: Recognize that CAS progress might be non-linear and slow. To keep your child motivated, acknowledge and celebrate minor victories and have an optimistic attitude.
● Goals of Integrative Therapy: To comprehend your child's speech therapist's treatment objectives, collaborate closely with them. To give constant practice and reinforcement, include these goals in your everyday routines and activities.
● Provide Options to Promote Speech: Provide options in place of open-ended queries. "Would you like apples or bananas?" is one example. Your child may find it simpler to reply and practice speaking as a result.
● Establish a Rich Communication Environment: Stock your home with games, music, and literature that promote conversation. Take part in activities that pique your child's curiosity and provide them opportunities to speak naturally.
● Utilize Technology and Apps: Several apps exist to aid with the development of speech. Make learning interesting and enjoyable for your kids by using these resources.
We at 1SpecialPlace are here to walk this journey with you every step of the way since we recognize the difficulties and sheer tenacity needed to travel the route of CAS. We want to be a source of constant support and a light of hope for you, providing a wealth of information and understanding from a community that gets it.
With the correct support system, love, and optimism, you may turn obstacles into achievements on this road. With 1SpecialPlace illuminating the path, let's keep constructing a society in which every child feels heard, supported, and free to express themselves.
