Apraxia

Here is an article on Apraxia - specifically childhood Apraxia of Speech.  Apraxia is a condition characterized by an inability to carry out actions, despite having the desire and physical ability.  With Speech Apraxia, there is a difficulty planning the movements necessary for speech.  When this condition afflicts a child, it is called Developmental Apraxia of Speech. You can learn something about Apraxia by reading our article further down on this page, titled "Toddlers Diagnosed with Apraxia".  Learn about one woman's experience with Apraxia in her toddler. Read about how he was diagnosed and what treatments are working to improve his condition. Learn even more about Apraxia by purchasing books on the subject.  Amazon.com is a great place to buy books!  Have a look at the books below.  If you don't see one that interests you, just click on the Amazon logo and search for more.  If your child has been diagnosed with Apraxia, you'll want to find out all you can about the condition so that you can take action to increase the chances of a successful treatment!

Toddlers Diagnosed with Apraxia by Amber Wright   12/17/06 Parents have all heard that every child learns at their own pace when it comes to talking. But how do you know when your child seems to be behind most of his peers? In my son's case, children in his playgroup asked me why he wasn't talking back to them. This prompted me to take my 29 month old to his pediatrician, where she asked me questions like "How many words are in his vocabulary? Is he putting two words together yet?" She decided it would be best to speak with a speech therapist in my area. A few weeks later, I met with a service coordinator who took me through the steps of retaining help for my son and filling out the necessary paperwork. We also ruled out the possibility of hearing impairment. My son was evaluated for speech concerns and it was determined that he needed speech therapy twice a week. His therapist began by just sitting on the floor with him and playing with puzzles, flashcards, and singing nursery rhymes. Her immediate concern was for my son to begin verbalizing spontaneous words - saying words on his own without being prompted in any way. Anna, the speech therapist, had my son pick out the puzzle pieces and flashcards that she had named. It only took a few sessions for him to begin repeating her. A few months later, he would actually name certain items before Anna did. It was around this time that she diagnosed him with apraxia, a childhood speech disorder. Children with this disorder know what they want to say, but have difficulty making the movements needed for speech. It is a disorder of the nervous system that affects the ability to perform purposeful movements, but without impairment of muscular power and coordination. The day after he was diagnosed, I racked my brain trying to figure out where I had gone wrong. But it didn't take too long to realize how lucky I was. So we'd have to work on his speech skills - he was still a healthy, happy child. I would just work with him as much as possible, along with continuing his speech therapy. Detecting and finding help for a speech delay early in childhood is instrumental in the progress a child makes. In my state of Florida, the state pays for a child's therapy until they are three years old (if they are determined to be delayed by the evaluation.) There are signs to look for if you believe your young child may have apraxia. Early detection would begin by noticing if your infant doesn't babble or their first words are made after some delay and are missing sounds. When I saw my son become extremely frustrated while struggling to talk, combined with using gestures to communicate, I realized he needed to see his pediatrician. Also, feeding problems and inconsistency in pronouncing the same word can be considered red flags of apraxia. Though a child may exhibit some or all of these symptoms, it does not mean they have apraxia. A licensed speech therapist/pathologist is needed to diagnose any problems you as a parent or guardian feel they have. After three months of therapy we were told my son had apraxia. My son is constantly improving through speech therapy and one-on-one play with interactive games such as blocks or reading books together. In a playful environment, he is learning without realizing it. Nursery rhymes help the child put words together while playing music encourages joy for verbalization - when a child is actively involved, it stimulates their whole brain. Flash cards are great visual cues to aid in repetition of syllables and words. My son learns quickly around children his age - he loves to imitate them. So placing him in a preschool setting a few days per week helped tremendously. You can take something that your child loves to do and turn it into a learning environment. We found this out through drawing letters and pictures. Our son has carried a crayon with him for the past year, so we'd begin by naming a letter of the alphabet, and then drawing pictures that correlated to that letter. We could do this virtually anywhere. I just made sure to leave a small notebook and crayons in my purse. This alone seemed to increase his vocabulary. But most importantly, sign language caused the most dramatic change in my little one by reducing much of the frustration caused by his inability to communicate. All in all, through some hard work and dedication, my son will soon be on the same level as his peers. What he needs the most is a whole lot of love and encouragement. For more information regarding apraxia in children, go to www.apraxia-kids.org. Comments

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