Definitions of Apraxia
It’s so interesting and a little frustrating that lots of doctors do not recognize Apraxia. We had to take Luke into his primary Dr. a couple weeks ago. We had a lot of questions for him. I don’t think we’ve ever had such a long doctors appointment. I think the Dr. missed his lunch. We love his primary Doc but always at the end of the day he will still call it speech delay. Actually even the Neurologist wrote Luke up for speech delay. Even though they both have all the reports from Lucid Speech right in front of them. I wonder why they are afraid to call it Apraxia?? Why is it so hard to call it what it is? His expressive language has never followed any type of pattern. It has been random and all over the place. From everything I’ve researched, speech delay is an accurate diagnoses for a child who has typical language and still follows normal speech patterns it just occurs at a slower rate or later time than normal. Apraxia is so different. I’ve been asked to describe what it looks like. What I have seen with Luke has been anything but typical. Going way back to infancy, not a whole lot of babbling. A very quite child. Then around 9 months he came up with a couple random words. I think duck and bath. Only to say them once or twice then drop them. For a short period everything was “this“. Then some months later came into play a whole new language. Random, slurred, drawn out, kind of indescribable speech. Since beginning speech therapy we’ve been able to sort through some of that. But here’s what is interesting now, we get words flipped around. It’s crazy. We might hear pa-ah. for apple. Or he’ll catch the just the end sound of a word, or just the beginning. It’s just such a mixed bag. Apraxia is not a new condition by any means nor should it be called speech delay. Here are some past definitions of Childhood Apraxia of speech;
“Defects of articulation in children of good mental capacity…associated neither with mechanical conditions of the mouth, nor with disease of the articulatory apparatus, but most certainly dependent on some fault in the central nervous system.” -W.B Hadden, 1891
“The failure or limited ability to control and direct the movements and coordination of the respiratory and oral muscles for articulation when muscle tone is otherwise accurate.”- M. Morley, 1965
“…disorders of the execution of learned movement which cannot be accounted for either by weakness, incoordination, or sensory loss, or by incomprehension of or inattention to commands.”-N. Geschwind, 1975
I know I am always saying I wish there was more research. I am very happy that Lukes therapist is currently conducting Apraxia research. (www.lucidspeech.com) I bring different things up to Miss Megan all the time. What I find very interesting is there seems to be some real common threads that come along with Apraxia. The families I have met personally or the e-mails I receive through this blog, here’s some of the things I hear again and again.
1. Seems it usually affects male gender more often than female
2. Not a lot or no babble as an infant
3. Chronic ear infections
4. Facial muscle weakness
5.Sleep Apnea
6. Birth trauma
7.Mild to severe sensory issues
I know it is a case by case basis. I also know some children have no other issues beside the speech! I just find it interesting to explore some of these other factors and wonder why and how they all relate???
May 2nd, 2009 at 11:26 am
I think you’re on the right track with Luke. He is very bright and very witty. This indicates to me that he is taking everything in but his answers might not be exactly what we understand. He answers questions that people ask in his own way. Luke is not withdrawn or confused I understand him 90% of the time. He is a very compassionate and loving child.
Pops