Developmental Apraxia CHECKLIST
Developmental (or Childhood) apraxia of speech is a disorder of the nervous system that affects the ability to sequence and say sounds, syllables and words. It is not due to muscular weakness or paralysis. The problem is in the brain’s planning to move the body parts needed for speech production (e.g., lips, jaw, tongue). The child knows what he wants to say but the brain is not sending the correct instructions to move the body parts for speech. There is no known cause of the disorder.
Common Characteristics:
In Very Young Children
- Does not coo or babble as an infant
- Produces only a few different consonant sounds
- Is unsuccessful at combining sounds
- Simplifies words by replacing difficult sounds with easier ones or by deleting difficult sounds
- May have feeding problems
- May use “uh uh uh uh” to stand for words they cannot say
In Older Children
- Makes inconsistent sound errors that are not the result of immaturity
- Can understand language much better than he or she can produce it
- Has difficulty imitating speech
- May appear to be groping when attempting to produce sounds or to coordinate the lips, tongue and jaw for purposeful movement
- Has more difficulty saying longer phrases than shorter ones or single words
- Appears to be worse when he or she is anxious
- Is hard for listeners to understand
- Difficulty coordinating breathing with speaking
These children may have other developmental or communication problems as well. These can include oral motor weakness (of the lips, jaw, cheeks), delayed language development, expressive language problems and difficulties with fine motor movement and gross motor coordination.
Disclaimer
These checklists are not intended to substitute for a professional opinion. If you have concerns, please have your child seen by an appropriate specialist.