Apraxia is a motor speech disorder that makes it difficult for someone to pronounce sounds and words correctly. Someone with apraxia of speech, for example, may understand the word “ball,” but cannot say the word because they are unable to move their lips or tongue in the correct way to pronounce it.
Apraxia of speech is like another speech condition called aphasia, which can make apraxia difficult to diagnose. However, aphasia is a labor-based disorder in which the person cannot understand the word. Therefore, the two conditions and their treatment options differ.
Lori Delashaw, a speech language pathologist at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Pensacola, said speech therapy techniques involving repetition are some of the best treatment options for someone with apraxia.
“Practicing words with drill-based repetition is key,” Delashaw said. “With my patients, I usually like to target three repetitions of the same word before moving on to the next.”
What are the Common Signs and Symptoms Associated with Apraxia?
The common signs of apraxia can vary from person to person depending on severity.
“Some people may only experience mildly distorted sounds, while others may be unable to move their mouth at all,” Delashaw said.
Common signs and symptoms of apraxia of speech include:
- Leaving sounds out
- Pronouncing sounds incorrectly
- Adding new sounds
- Extremely slow or labored speech
“It typically takes a lot of effort for someone with apraxia to say specific words,” Delashaw said.
What Are the Causes and Risk Factors Associated with Apraxia?
There are many different causes of apraxia. First, you can be born with it due to loss of oxygen from the umbilical cord. You can also acquire apraxia from a stroke or brain injury.
“There is also primary progressive apraxia, which can be one of the first signs of ALS or another neurological disorder,” Delashaw said
How is Apraxia of Speech Diagnosed?
A speech therapist will assess your oral motor components such as mouth movements and your ability to imitate and repeat words.
“If a person can recognize and name the things around them but not pronounce the words correctly, it typically means they have apraxia,” Delashaw said.
Another common sign that speech therapists look for when diagnosing someone with apraxia is groping. Groping is trying to move your tongue and lips in the correct position as you attempt to speak.
Reading and writing skills can also be assessed to test for apraxia. People with apraxia are typically able to read things orally better than speaking spontaneously. In most cases, they also can write clearly, unless there is another disability affecting the individual’s writing skills.
What Speech Therapy Techniques Are Used to Manage Apraxia?
Apraxia speech therapy involves drill-oriented repetition of words.
“The way I typically treat apraxia is through targeting word production. I develop a list of words that are meaningful to the person that include the letters and sounds they are struggling with,” Delashaw said. “For example, if the person is struggling with the ‘B’ sound, and the patient’s husband’s name is Bob, that would be a good word to practice.”
Another form of therapy Delashaw uses is singing.
“Singing allows the patient to tap into their emotional side and helps them practice their automatic speech,” she said.
In severe cases, the speech therapist may start by having the patient move their mouth in the shape of certain sounds without saying them. They also might work with the patient on opening and closing their mouth.
“Someone with apraxia can’t say words or sentences until they make the connection between motor skills and sounds,” Delashaw said.
What Are Alternative Communication Methods for Someone with Apraxia?
“If someone has severe apraxia, they probably need to use an augmented communication method, such as typing on a phone, writing on a whiteboard, using pictures to communicate or another means of communication to go along with their speech,” Delashaw said.
Apraxia can be very frustrating, because the person is aware they are not saying the word correctly, but they cannot get their mouth to move in the correct way. However, speech therapy can help improve the symptoms and communications.
Resources:
Apraxia of Speech in Adults (asha.org)
The content of this site is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding any medical conditions or treatments.
