Apraxia is a motor disorder that impairs a child’s ability to perform purposeful movements, despite having the physical abilities to do so. It can affect various areas, including production of speech and everyday activities such as buttoning a button, throwing a ball, jumping, or writing. Monkey Mouths has speech pathologists and occupational therapists with specialized training to help make these everyday activities easier for your child.
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is sometimes called verbal dyspraxia or developmental apraxia; however, CAS is not a diagnosis that a child outgrows. Children with apraxia of speech know what they want to say, but they have difficulty planning and coordinating the muscles of the mouth in a manner to produce intelligible speech. As with most diagnoses, the severity of CAS can vary widely among individuals.
Some common characteristics of CAS are the following:
If you have these concerns, please consult with your primary care physician to determine if a speech evaluation would be recommended.
Children with nonverbal oral apraxia have difficulty planning and coordinating the muscles of the mouth for nonspeech movements. This may affect how they make nonspeech oral (mouth) movements, such as how they smile, stick out their tongue, and blow. In some cases, it may affect how they eat and drink.
To evaluate whether your child has patterns consistent with the diagnosis of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), our speech pathologists at Monkey Mouths will complete a thorough speech and language evaluation. Our speech pathologists assess speech sounds, oral motor movements, and expressive/receptive language skills. Once the evaluation is complete, recommendations for speech therapy will be made if needed and goals tailored to your child’s needs will be established. The frequency of therapy will be discussed based upon your child’s needs.
Therapy techniques utilized by speech pathologists at Monkey Mouths may include:
In addition to apraxia of speech, some children have motor apraxia. Motor apraxia involves difficulties planning and coordinating purposeful movements, despite the absence of muscle weakness or sensory impairment. The condition affects the ability to perform skilled and coordinated movements, hindering daily activities. It can affect both fine and gross motor skills, making daily activities challenging.
Children who may benefit from occupational therapy for apraxia typically display struggles with tasks like dressing, feeding, writing, or engaging in play.
They may exhibit delays in achieving age-appropriate motor milestones. OT interventions focus on improving motor planning, coordination, sensory integration, perceptual-motor coordination, and overall functional abilities.
Occupational therapy is beneficial when a child’s apraxia interferes with their daily life, academic performance, or social participation. Early identification and intervention are crucial for better outcomes. Occupational therapy sessions at Monkey Mouths include tailored activities that address specific motor challenges, helping the child develop the skills needed for independent and successful engagement in various activities.
To evaluate whether your child has patterns consistent with the diagnosis of motor apraxia, our occupational therapists at Monkey Mouths will complete a thorough evaluation with observational assessment, standardized testing, clinical interviews, task-specific assessments, sensory integration, and reflex integration assessment. Once the evaluation is complete, our occupational therapists will provide recommendations for the frequency and duration of skilled occupational therapy services. Our occupational therapists will develop a tailored intervention plan to address the specific needs and challenges identified, helping your child improve their motor planning and coordination skills.
Therapy techniques may include:
If your child is presenting with a speech or language delay, it is essential that a complete hearing evaluation be conducted because hearing plays a critical role in the development of speech and language development. Our audiology team at Monkey Mouths can conduct this assessment to determine if any hearing concerns are present. This hearing evaluation will allow our speech pathologists and occupational therapists to differentiate between a delay related to motor planning versus a delay influenced by hearing loss.
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