What is Apraxia of Speech?

Apraxia of speech is a motor-speech programming disorder resulting in difficulty coordinating the oral-motor movements necessary to produce and combine phonemes (consonants & vowels) to form syllables, words, phrases and sentences. Oral-motor weakness or dysarthria may co-exist but must not be a primary concern. The child may have a limited repertoire of consonants and have difficulty executing oral-motor movements at all. They may be able to produce all consonants in isolation but begin to delete or replace them in context (a word).

Apraxia of speech is usually treatable with the appropriate techniques. It is not just a simple articulation disorder nor a “phonological disorder” but a motor-speech programming disorder. Traditional therapy techniques are usually unsuccessful. “Minimal pairs” techniques are also not as successful for these children. Speech pathologists should be knowledgeable about oral-verbal motor skills, and adult/acquired apraxia to assist the child best. They should be well-versed in “cueing,” “pacing” and successive approximations. The Kaufman treatment method for developmental verbal apraxia is a highly effective program with young children. Children must be seen one-on-one, at least in the early stages of treatment, even by age 2. The Kaufman Speech Praxis Test is also a helpful beginning in the evaluation of apraxia and in determining treatment goals. The Kaufman Speech Praxis Treatment Kit I and The Kaufman Speech Praxis Treatment Kit II are effective teaching tools. Both include full manuals and over 200 picture cards with successive approximations listed on the back.