APRAXIA

Apraxia is a neurologically based motor planning disorder that affects the timing and coordination of speech. Speech sound errors in children with apraxia are often idiosyncratic and inconsistent making speech very difficult to understand. Children with apraxia often have problems blending sounds together and tend to use a fewer number of speech sounds than other children their age.

Apraxia can severely compromise a child’s ability to communicate, even with familiar listeners. Often, children with apraxia perform significantly lower on expressive language measures when compared to their receptive language abilities.

Speech therapy for children with apraxia is decidedly more intensive and frequent than for children with either articulation delays or phonological disorders. Apraxia therapy often includes intensive oral-motor work and systematic drill practice of increasingly larger units of speech. An individually designed home program is usually indicated, as well.