Childhood Apraxia of Speech

Definition

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder that causes the brain to have problems planning to move the body parts needed for speech (lips, jaw, tongue). Children with Apraxia know what they want to say but cannot properly plan and sequence the speech sound movements. Childhood Apraxia of Speech can range from mild to severe.

Symptoms of Childhood Apraxia of Speech include:

Distorting sounds
Making inconsistent errors in speech
Groping for sounds
Making errors in tone, stress, or rhythm

Children with CAS typically understand language much better than they are able to use it. Some children with CAS may also have other speech problems, expressive language problems, or motor-skill problems (NIDCD).

Instructional Strategies

In her article, Wangchuck Tshering Pema provides several useful strategies for classroom teachers when working with children with CAS. These include:

Speak slowly and clearly- children will be exposed to proper sound production
Communication with Speech Language Pathologist and family- allows for consistency as therapies and strategies can be carried over to all parts of the child's life
Give students extra time to complete their assignments as well as to communicate their needs
Foster collaboration in the classroom- sometimes children with CAS can be bullied or rejected by their peers
Use choral reading, singing, and music in the classroom- helps child develop appropriate rate and rhythm
Provide opportunity for alternate forms of communication- this can come in the form of communication books, drawing systems, or gestural systems
Use role play in the classroom- allows child to practice conversational language
Use plenty of visuals and repetition

Useful Websites

https://www.apraxia-kids.org/

Provides resources for families, teachers, and researchers

https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/ChildhoodApraxia/

Describes common signs, causes, and treatment information

https://bilinguistics.com/childhood-apraxia-of-speech/

Provides tips for working with children with CAS

Research

Nijland, L., Terband, H., & Maassen, B. (2015). Cognitive functions in childhood apraxia of speech. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 58(3), 550.

This is a study on the cognitive implications of Childhood Apraxia of Speech. In it, children with and without CAS were asked to perform sequential memory tasks. Results indicated that children with CAS scored significantly lower than their peers without CAS, which lead researchers to believe that children with CAS also have errors in nonverbal sequential functioning.

Rietveld, A. C. M., Namasivayam, A., Pukonen, M., Goshulaki, D., Hard, J., Rudzicz, F., Lieshout, P. (2015). Treatment intensity and childhood apraxia of speech. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 50(4), 529-546. doi:10.1111/1460-6984.12154

This study discusses treatment intensity and its effect on children's articulation, functional communication, and speech intelligibility. 37 children with CAS received either lower or higher intensity motor speech treatment for 10 weeks. Results indicated that only higher intensity treatment led to significantly better outcomes for articulation and functional communication.

Turner, S. J., Hildebrand, M. S., Block, S., Damiano, J., Fahey, M., Reilly, S., Morgan, A. T. (2013). Small intragenic deletion in FOXP2 associated with childhood apraxia of speech and dysarthria. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A, 161(9), 2321-2326. doi:10.1002/ajmg.a.36055

This study looks at a possible genetic basis for CAS, specifically the gene FOXP2. Several families with a history of various speech deficits were phenotyped. Results indicated that a small intragenic deletion is a likely cause of severe motor speech disorders, including CAS.

References

NIDCD. (2017). Apraxia of Speech. Retrieved from https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/apraxia-speech

Pema, W. T. (2015). Childhood apraxia of speech- overview and teaching strategies. European Journal of Special Education Research, 1(1). Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/23206586/CHILDHOOD_APRAXIA_OF_SPEECH_CAS_-_OVERVIEW_AND_TEACHING_STRATEGIES