Apraxia or speech difficulty in a child

Apraxia is defined as the inability in children and adults to perform coordinated movements without a cause of physical origin. Its origin is in the brain and nervous system. The child who suffers is unable to carry out tasks or movement despite understanding the order, be willing to carry out the t

Speech apraxia is characterized by the appearance of speech difficulties, mainly in the planning and programming of the coordinated and sequential movements necessary for the production of speech sounds.

What is the cause of apraxia in children?

Apraxia is due to an alteration in the brain, and can occur from birth or acquired later in a person who was previously able to perform the tasks involved.

It may be due to different factors. The most common are brain tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, strokes, brain injuries ...

This disorder can also appear from birth, and its symptoms appear and become more obvious as the child grows. In this case, the cause is unknown.

How to know if the child has apraxia of the speech

There are a series of signs or symptoms that can make him think that his son can present apraxia of the speech. Some of them are the following: D - Difficulty or

inability to say previously known words. - Emphasis on wrong syllables.

Difficulty in pronouncing sounds correctly in some words, but you can pronounce them correctly in others. - Omission of word sounds.

- Vocal confusion in words.

Increase of errors proportional to the length of the sentence .- Difficulties in imitation and repetition of sentences.

- Alterations in the pronunciation and accentuation of words.

- Slow progress despite treatment.

It is important to bear in mind that some of these symptoms may also be due to other pathologies, such as speech delay.

How is speech apraxia diagnosed in children? To confirm or rule out the presence of this disorder, different medical examinations can be carried out, such as an MRI, an electroencephalogram ...

In addition, it is advisable to carry out complementary exams about intelligence, of language and also

rule out possible learning difficulties.

You can also apply repetition tests, reading and calculation, spontaneous expression ... Treatment for apraxia of speech in childhood

The treatment will be focused on getting the patient to control in a conscious way the different movements of the organophosatory organs that they participate in the production of speech.

There are a series of exercises that can help children with this disorder, such as:

- Sensory stimulation games.

Repetition games, so that the child observes the correct positioning of the muscles.

- Progressive sequencing of sounds to create words. Due to the complexity of this pathology, it is recommended that you consult your pediatrician and your speech therapist to help you with the treatment.