How long does apraxia last

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.

Here's what you can expect before, during and after an appointment with Speech-Language Pathology. Contact Us. Request an Appointment. Some factors influencing the rise in diagnosis include: Increased awareness of childhood apraxia of speech by professionals and families Increased availability of research on CAS Earlier-age evaluation and identification. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association ASHA, , the three most common features in children with apraxia of speech are: Inconsistent errors on consonants and vowels in repeated productions of syllables or words for example, a child says the same word differently each time he tries to produce it.

Difficulty producing longer, more complex words and phrases. Some additional characteristics of speech production associated with childhood apraxia of speech include: Late development of the child's first words and sounds. A decreased sound inventory for example, a lack of variety of consonant and vowel sounds expected at a certain age.

Vowel sound errors. Excessive movements of the mouth or attempting to position the mouth for sound production. Persistent or frequent regression in the number of words produced. Differences in performance of automatic speech such as "hello" and "thank you" versus voluntary speech. In most cases, voluntary speech is more affected by apraxia of speech. There are a number of factors that are likely to influence progress for children with CAS.

Some of these factors are:. Although research is needed, it may be that CAS which is associated with genetic, metabolic, or neurological conditions may be more challenging than for children that have CAS for unknown reasons idiopathic CAS. It does appear that each issue, in addition to CAS, and which is layered over top of it contributes to more uncertain progress and long-term outcome.

There is much to learn and research is needed to identify children who are most in need of help and those who are likely to need long term communication support. The act of learning to speak clearly is typically long and challenging for children with truly do have apraxia of speech, but they can and do make great strides and much progress with speech therapy appropriate to their needs.

With appropriate help, there are many reasons to be hopeful! With appropriate early intervention and ongoing support, most children with CAS can improve their speech production skills and develop functional speech. The period of time this outcome requires is individualized and most likely based on the unique characteristics of the child and the level and quality of the intervention provided.

Currently it is recognized that while treatment is intensive and extends over a number of years, these children are very capable of making wonderful gains and developing intelligible speech. Progress, is of course, individualized, however unproductive therapy should not go on indefinitely.

If the child is not making noticeable and meaningful progress over several months of treatment, the SLP needs to regroup and examine the reason. If a child fails to make significant and adequate progress despite receiving speech therapy intervention, the following questions need addressed:. If after addressing these issues, progress is still not adequate, ask for consultation from a colleague with more experience with this particular disorder.

Some long-term residual issues that may persist even after the child attains intelligibility include sound distortions and prosody deficits rate, timing, stress, intonation. If these issues are present, therapy strategies can continue to target them.

Additionally, speech therapy may need to continue to address linguistic or pragmatic needs presented by some children. The Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America Apraxia Kids , along with members of its Professional Advisory Board, has engaged in discussion about the misleading impression that children with apraxia of speech make very slow progress in speech therapy.

Is it true that children with CAS make very slow progress in therapy? Here is what we think:. Additionally, children with CAS who are in poor health and not able to take full advantage of the learning and practice opportunities available to them, may demonstrate very slow progress in speech production skills. Children with apraxia plus other complex challenges likely will have more limited progress. If this progress does not occur for a child whose primary diagnosis is CAS, an SLP should consider the following questions:.

Parents will want to be in contact with their SLP to discuss expectations and what modifications the SLP will make if progress is not being made. Consider this question: if, after six months of speech therapy at the rate of two or three or four times weekly, your child had two additional sounds phonemes and was capable of producing or could approximate two words, would you consider that the therapy was working?

Probably not. Children with apraxia of speech take a great deal of effort from the SLP and the children themselves expend incredible effort, especially early on.

Several new word approximations over the span of 6 months? That rate of progress should likely be questioned. Parents should not settle for limited progress without examining what is occurring. Instead, we suggest that when therapy is not leading to good progress, key questions can be asked, such as:.

For example, a child with obstructive sleep apnea or constant colds, enlarged tonsils and adenoids, etc. Children with multiple and complex issues, in addition to CAS, are likely to have slower rate and extent of progress, however, it is best to pause and evaluate now and then to be sure that therapy is as effective as it can possibly be! However, many, many children can learn to speak quite well and be entirely verbal and intelligible if given early appropriate therapy and enough of it.

However, children with apraxia of speech often make slower progress than children with other types of speech sound disorders. Note: slower than other types of disorders; not slow in and of itself. Children suspected to have CAS but who make very rapid progress in speech therapy that generalizes easily to new contexts, both in and outside of the therapy room, most likely have a different type of speech sound disorder and NOT CAS..

With appropriate goals, informed by detailed assessment — AND — appropriate, well executed speech therapy that incorporates principles of motor learning, children with apraxia of speech can be expected to make good, steady progress in therapy, especially those with age appropriate or near age appropriate cognitive, behavior and language skills. Additionally, children with CAS who are in poor health and not able to take full advantage of the learning and practice opportunities available to them, may demonstrate very slow progress in gaining speech production skills.

Children with apraxia plus other complex challenges likely will have slower progress. Posted at h in by apraxiaadmin. Prognosis for Apraxia: What does the future hold?

Presence of Oral as well as Verbal Apraxia Children who exhibit an oral apraxia as well as apraxia of speech often require treatment longer than those children who exhibit only CAS. Cognitive Skills Children with measured learning potentials in the average to above average range have a more favorable prognosis than children with cognitive delays.

Appropriateness of Therapy Because children with apraxia are different in terms of the etiology of the apraxia, the therapeutic approach utilized in their treatment needs to be tailored to their individual needs. Approximately 1 to 2 children out of 1, have CAS.

Children with CAS have difficulty planning and programming the necessary movements to produce speech. Accurate apraxia diagnosis and specialized treatment are essential. Specific childhood apraxia of speech therapy techniques that improve motor learning are recommended for CAS.

Ranging from introductory information to detailed videos on effective treatments for CAS. We partner with expert child apraxia of speech clinicians and researchers who have extensive knowledge and experience and are passionate about helping parents and clinicians support children with CAS. Our partner organizations host continuing education events, and many serve as local resources for apraxia diagnosis, treatment, and research of CAS.

Check out our previous and upcoming conferences to see our partners. The Once Upon A Time Foundation is a Fort Worth, Texas-based private foundation that works to help children with CAS by educating parents and speech-language pathologists about evidence-based treatment practices.

These initiatives include: free online courses and videos, sponsoring free advanced trainings, funding research, and answering questions from parents, therapists, and educators relating to CAS. Thanks so much for sharing your expertise with us. It didn't even cross my mind that everything being marketed to me might not be what was best for my child at that time, and that's really tough as a parent.

As therapists we are hungry for unbiased information and treatment techniques, finding these methods is not easy and getting training in them can be difficult. To have participated in this training with such a highly skilled group of professionals felt like getting the answer key in treatment of CAS!

This experience has equipped me with the tools I need to feel confident in not only revolutionizing my therapy but to share this with others and begin the needed change in our field using techniques backed by research. My hope is that targeted research in CAS will continue to fuel the future of treatment.