Apraxia of Speech in Adults
[
en Español]
What is apraxia of speech?
Apraxia
is a general term. It can cause problems in parts of the body,
such as arms and legs. Apraxia of speech is a
motor speech disorder
. It is caused by damage to the parts of the brain related to
speaking. Other terms include apraxia of speech, acquired apraxia
of speech, verbal apraxia, and dyspraxia.
People with apraxia of speech have trouble sequencing the
sounds in syllables and words. The severity depends on the nature
of the brain damage.
Children can have apraxia, referred to as
childhood
apraxia of speech.
What are some signs or symptoms of apraxia of speech?
People with apraxia of speech know what words they want to
say, but their brains have difficulty coordinating the muscle
movements necessary to say those words. They may say something
completely different, even made up words. For example, a person
may try to say "kitchen," but it may come out
"bipem" or even "chicken." The person may
recognize the error and try again, sometimes getting it right,
but sometimes saying something else entirely. This can become
quite frustrating for the person. It may be hard to understand a
person with apraxia of speech.
Apraxia of speech can be mild or severe. People with apraxia
may have
- difficulty imitating speech sounds
- difficulty imitating non-speech movements (oral apraxia),
such as sticking out their tongue
- groping when trying to produce sounds
- in severe cases, an inability to produce sound at all
- inconsistent errors
- slow rate of speech
- somewhat preserved ability to produce "automatic
speech" (
rote speech
), such as greetings like "How are you?"
Apraxia can occur in conjunction with
dysarthria
(muscle weakness affecting speech production) or
aphasia
(language difficulties related to neurological damage).
How is apraxia of speech diagnosed?
A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can evaluate the
individual. Results will determine the nature and severity of the
apraxia. The SLP will look to see if there is any evidence of
muscle weakness (
dysarthria) or other communication or
swallowing difficulties. An appropriate treatment plan can then be put in place.
To contact a speech-language pathologist, visit
ASHA's Find a Professional.
What treatments are available to people with apraxia of
speech?
An SLP can work with people with apraxia of speech to improve
speech abilities and overall communication skills. The muscles of
speech often need to be "retrained" to produce sounds
correctly and sequence sounds into words. Exercises are designed
to allow the person to repeat sounds over and over and practice
correct mouth movements for sounds. The person with apraxia of
speech may need to slow his or her speech rate down or work on
"pacing" their speech so that he or she can produce all
necessary sounds. In severe cases,
augmentative and
alternative communication
may be necessary, such as the use of simple gestures or more
sophisticated electronic equipment.
To contact a speech-language pathologist, visit
ASHA's Find a Professional.
What other organizations have information about apraxia of
speech?
This list is not exhaustive and inclusion does not imply
endorsement of the organization or the content of the Web site
by ASHA.
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See Also:
Apraxia of Speech in Adults: Causes and
Number
Apraxia of Speech in Adults: Benefits of
Speech-Language Pathology Services