What is Apraxia?
Apraxia of speech is a motor-planning disorder in which an individual has the language capacity to talk, but the signals between his or her brain and mouth muscles are not sent correctly. This results in unclear speech, no discernible pattern of errors, and sometimes difficulty producing much speech at all.
Is Apraxia of speech treatable?
Yes, absolutely. Apraxia of speech can be developmental, otherwise known as “childhood apraxia of speech,” or acquired, as in the case of a brain injury, stroke, or neurodegenerative disease. In either case, diagnosis and treatment with a speech-language pathologist (SLP) using evidence-based practice has been proven effective for improved speech outcomes.
Although it is called “childhood apraxia of speech,” or CAS, it is not a disorder that kids outgrow or spontaneously recover from. Without treatment, children with CAS may make very limited progress in speech acquisition. Therapy can be hard work, but early intervention and treatment will improve speech in the case of apraxia.
How can Expressable help?
Differential diagnosis by an experienced speech-language pathologist is essential for designing an appropriate treatment plan for apraxia, as the approach is different from the treatment of other speech sound disorders. Early intervention improves outcomes, and intensive or high-frequency treatment is often a recommendation for CAS. Online speech therapy with Expressable offers families the opportunity to receive individualized treatment, at a fraction of the cost of traditional speech therapy. Treatment is done using online video sessions, so there’s no need to travel multiple times per week to a speech clinic. And as always, Expressable believes that empowered families increase outcomes for patients - so family education and personalized home exercises are included in every subscription plan.
Schedule a free consultation with Expressable if you have concerns regarding your speech or that of a family member.