Apraxia of speech in children
Apraxia of speech is a rare speech disorder in children, in which the child has difficulty making the precise movements needed to speak. It is important to understand that apraxia is a speech disorder
For correct speech, the child's brain must create a plan according to which his speech apparatus and muscles will perform movements with the jaw, tongue As a result, we get the correct sounds and words The baby's brain also plans according to the movements, speed and rhythm of speech
In childhood apraxia, the brain cannot plan these movements As a result, the child cannot speak correctly and easily In apraxia, the speech muscles are not weak, but they cannot function because the brain cannot coordinate and transmit impulses about movement.
Apraxia of speech in children can be caused by several reasons, but in most cases the cause cannot be determined. Doctors sometimes cannot identify brain damage
Apraxia in children may be the result of brain (neurological) damage such as stroke, infection or trauma.
Apraxia may develop as a result of a genetic disease, syndrome or metabolic condition For example, childhood apraxia occurs more often in children with galactosemia
Childhood apraxia is sometimes called developmental apraxia, although children with apraxia do not always correct their speech as they grow older. Children with developmental problems often have normal but delayed speech development In patients with apraxia, speech cannot be corrected without therapy
Children with apraxia of speech have associated symptoms that vary with age and severity of impairment.
Apraxia may be accompanied by delayed pronunciation of first words, use of a limited number of words, and the ability to produce only a few speech sounds. These symptoms are usually observed between 18 months and 2 years of age and indicate apraxia
When children try to talk more, around the age of 2-4 years, the typical symptoms of apraxia are: confusion of vowels and consonants, pauses between sounds or words, errors in the sound of speech
Many children with apraxia of speech have difficulty moving their jaw, lips, and tongue to speak, and they also have difficulty moving easily to the next sound.
Children vary in the rate at which they develop speech, but with speech therapy, children with apraxia often develop normal, intelligible speech.
Many children with apraxia also have problems with language comprehension, vocabulary development, and word order.
Some symptoms are characteristic of apraxia and help us to diagnose it Some symptoms overlap with other language and speech disorders In such cases, it becomes difficult to distinguish childhood apraxia from other similar disorders
Certain characteristics, sometimes called markers, help distinguish childhood apraxia from other disorders. In apraxia, patients are characterized by:
- difficulty moving from one sound, vowel or word to another
- inflexible movements of the jaw, lips and tongue to produce the desired sound
- vowel confusion – trying to use the correct vowel but saying it incorrectly
- incorrect words These are:
- Decreased vocalization at the age of 7-12 months
- Delay of first words (12-18 months)
- Limited use of vowels and consonants
- Frequent omission of words
- Problems of speech understanding, comprehension
- Other speech Such disorders are: articulation disorder, phonological disorder and dysarthria
- A child who has difficulty making specific sounds but does not have a problem with planning and coordinating speech movements may have an articulation or phonological disorder. During articulation disorders, the child cannot produce specific sounds He may omit this sound or use a different sound in the word In a phonological disorder, a child has difficulty making one type of sound in particular, such as those that come from the back of the mouth.
- Articulation and phonological disorders are more common than childhood apraxia
Symptoms of articulation and phonological disorders are:
- Substitution of sounds
- Omission of the final consonant, inability to complete the word
- Simplification of sound combinations
- Dysarthria is a common motor speech disorder caused by speech Speech becomes difficult because the muscles cannot contract with the speed, frequency, and strength required. A person with dysarthria may also have a hoarse, soft, or strained voice, or slow, slurred speech.
- Diagnosis of dysarthria is sometimes easier than that of childhood apraxia However, when dysarthria is caused by damage to a specific area of the brain, it is difficult to distinguish between the two disorders Some children have both disorders at the same time
