It was a beautiful fall evening. Even though it was late, I had an urge to get out and go for a walk,,, just to clear my head. I am not sure what inspired me to walk around the local lake in the pitch dark, but against my better judgment, I went. There was no one on the walking path that evening besides me. About ten minutes into my stroll. I sensed someone walking behind me. I heard footsteps moving closer and closer. I turned around and saw a tall, imposing person wearing a ski mask, and as he reached towards me, I tried to yell “GET AWAY FROM ME”. But nothing came out of my mouth other than “eeh, eeh eeh!” Thankfully I woke up and realized it was just a bad dream, but for children who have apraxia of speech, it is not a dream they can easily awake from.
Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder. Children with CAS have problems saying sounds, syllables, and words. The brain has difficulty planning to move the body parts (e.g., lips, jaw, tongue) needed for speech. The child knows what he or she wants to say, but his/her brain has difficulty coordinating the muscle movements necessary to say those words.
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Not all children with CAS are the same. All of the signs and symptoms listed below may not be present in every child. General things to look for include the following:
§ Does not coo or babble as an infant. Quiet, good baby
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§ Produces only a few different consonant and vowel sounds
§ Problems combining sounds to form words; may show long pauses between sounds
§ Simplifies words by replacing difficult sounds with easier ones or by deleting difficult sounds (although all children do this, the child with apraxia of speech does so more often)
§ May have problems eating
§ Very good receptive language
§ Develops elaborate gestural system to communicate
§ May say a word once and not say it again
If you suspect that your child has apraxia, it is important to find a pediatric speech-language pathologist who has experience working with motor planning disorders. CAS can be effectively treated. Identifying and addressing these issues early can vastly improve your child’s prognosis.
Janice Blaifeder is a pediatric speech-language pathologist with over 25 years of experience. She uses a home based/natural environment approach to help each child reach their optimal potential. You can reach her at 973.809.4730 or email Readysettalk@yahoo.com Follow her on facebook at Readysettalk for new tips and insights.
