Apraxia

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)
CAS is a motor speech disorder, probably of genetic origin, affecting the individual’s ability to voluntarily make the right movements, when needed, during speech. Children with CAS can sometimes make movements involuntarily, while speaking that they cannot make voluntarily. 

Children with motor speech disorders have difficulty with one or more of the following

o Producing their speech sounds;

o Remembering how to make and where to put their speech sounds; and,

o Organizing their speech sounds. 

A clear diagnosis of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)

o May be possible at the initial consultation with the Speech Pathologist

o Or after a short period of therapy;

o Or after lengthy therapy;

o Or impossible, especially in very young children, or those with little or no speech.

Commitment

The Speech Pathology assessment, diagnosis and treatment of a child with CAS usually involve a long-term commitment for the therapist, for the child’s family, and for the child.

Speech progress may be very slow

Even with appropriate diagnosis and intervention speech progress may be very slow. This can adversely affect the confidence of parents, and sometimes the confidence of the therapist too, as well as the “willingness” of the child to participate and cooperate in therapy sessions and homework. So building an effective therapy team you can trust is extremely important.

Related therapies to treat this condition:

Articulation Therapy

Articulation therapy is a form of intervention that focuses on the accurate production of speech sounds to improve speech clarity.

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Communication Intermediary Services

Accessing police, legal, and justice services when you are experiencing a speech or language difficulty can be challenging and could have serious consequences if the individuals...

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Oral Placement Therapy

OPT is a type of oral-motor therapy used to target specific movements needed for speech clarity and feeding. 

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PROMPT

PROMPT is a technique used to assist with the planning and sequencing of speech sounds in words. 

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The Aphasia Gym

Aphasia is a communication problem following a stroke or brain injury that affects the language areas of the brain. 

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The Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol (K-SLP)

K-SLP is an evidenced-based assessment and treatment approach for children with apraxia, speech sound disorders, and expressive language challenges. 

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Conditions