Apraxia of speech (AOS) is a “neurologic speech disorder that reflects an impaired capacity to plan or program sensorimotor commands necessary for directing movements that result in phonetically and prosodically normal speech” (Duffy, 2013, p. 4, as cited in American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, n.d.). Individuals with apraxia of speech know what words they want to say, but their brains have difficulty coordinating the muscle movements necessary to say all the sounds in the words. As a result, they may say something completely different or make up words (e.g., “bipem” or “chicken” for “kitchen”). The person may recognize the error and try again—sometimes getting it right, but sometimes saying something else entirely. This situation can become quite frustrating for the person.
A person with apraxia of speech my exhibit one or more of the following speech characteristics:
- Difficulty imitating and producing speech sounds, marked by speech errors such as sound distortions, substitutions, and/or omissions;
- Inconsistent speech errors
- Groping of the tongue and lips to make specific sounds and words;
- Slow speech rate
- Impaired rhythm and prosody (intonation) of speech
- Better automatic speech (e.g., greetings) than purposeful speech
- Inability to produce any sound at all in severe cases.
Treatment
Treatment then works to address impairments and provide strategies to support areas impacted. The focus is on functional outcomes, making an impact in quality of life and helping clients return to activities they love.
Additional Resource
Reference
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). Acquired Apraxia of Speech. (Practice Portal). Retrieved November 15, 2021, from www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/acquired-apraxia-of-speech/