Childhood apraxia of speech

Childhood apraxia of speech is a rare speech disorder. Children with this disorder have trouble controlling their lips, jaws and tongues when speaking.

In Childhood apraxia of speech, the brain has trouble planning for speech movement. The brain isn't able to properly direct the movements needed for speech. The speech muscles aren't weak, but the muscles don't form words the right way.

To speak correctly, the brain has to make plans that tell the speech muscles how to move the lips, jaw and tongue. The movements usually result in accurate sounds and words spoken at the proper speed and rhythm. Childhood apraxia of speech affects this process.

Childhood apraxia of speech is often treated with speech therapy. During speech therapy, a speech-language pathologist teaches the child to practice the correct way to say words, syllables and phrases.

It is important for Al Hawas Rehabilitation Of Hearing & Speech Center, teachers, parents, related professionals and all family members to be actively involved in the treatment process so your child with ataxia of speech can achieve maximum progress. Additional research on this disorder is needed to explore causal factors, diagnostic criteria and the effectiveness of various therapy approaches.

With commitment from professionals, researchers and families, children with apraxia of speech can make significant improvements to their speech and communication skills.