How to Identify Apraxia

Apraxia is a condition that impacts the ability of an individual to engage in common speech patterns. The origin of the condition has to do with the motor control that makes it possible to form certain words, syllables and phrases. Apraxia usually becomes apparent as a child reaches an age where he or she begins to attempt to mimic the speech patterns of the surrounding environment. Several indicators of apraxia are common to just about every case, making it possible to identify the presence of the condition.

Instructions

• 1

  Notice the basic communication methods of the child. If past the age of two, the child has trouble moving beyond the stage of making grunting noises and pointing as the chief means of making wishes known, there apraxia may be a problem.

• 2

  Consider the movements of the mouth during eating. When the child has no problem opening and closing the mouth or licking the lips while eating, but demonstrates no similar activity outside of mealtimes, there may be a problem.

• 3

  Analyze the range of verbal communication. A child with apraxia may demonstrate the ability to pronounce a limited number of consonants, such as b, m, p, t, and h, but lack the ability to make use of the remaining consonants.

• 4

  Compare the ability to pronounce individual letters with the ability to combine them into whole words. A child with apraxia may exhibit no problem repeating the individual letters of the alphabet, but have considerable trouble arranging them into words.

• 5

  Measure the response to communication attempts. Verbal communications directed toward the child are usually received and comprehended with no problem. However, verbal responses to those communications appear hard to achieve for the child.

• 6

  Notice vowel usage. Children with apraxia usually experience little to no problem with vowels and may begin to utilize these letters as the main method of attempting verbal communication with others.

• 7

  Document the regularity of words or phrases that seem to pop out of nowhere. These would be words that are spoken clearly, but cannot be repeated when prompted.