{"id":9108,"date":"2019-07-31T05:52:32","date_gmt":"2019-07-31T05:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=9108"},"modified":"2021-04-22T15:04:48","modified_gmt":"2021-04-22T15:04:48","slug":"14-early-signs-of-apraxia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-early-signs-of-apraxia\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Early Signs of Apraxia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Apraxia is a speech ailment that affects a person\u2019s ability to carry out verbal requests and in many cases, to produce speech. The muscles may look and feel normal but sufferers find it impossible to make basic movements. If these muscles are in the face or mouth, a person may have difficulty speaking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The condition may affect children at an early age and can threaten their development. The cause of apraxia in children is often genetic, which may be a side effect of autism, epilepsy or another condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acquired apraxia can affect a person at any age and may be the result of a stroke or brain injury. Usually, a person with apraxia is able to speak, at least somewhat, but they may have exaggerated emphasis on certain syllables, a distortion of sounds. They may be able to understand other\u2019s speech, but cannot produce it themselves. 
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1. Slower Rate of Speech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If a person once spoke at a regular pace or quickly and suddenly speaks slowly, that may be an early sign of apraxia<\/a>. The slowness is quite exaggerated in many cases, and it can be difficult for sufferers to get through a sentence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason for the slowness is that damage to the brain can make communication to the mouth slower. On the other hand, a person may be able to still think quite quickly, but only the speech is affected. They could, for instance, write out answers to essay questions on an exam, and yet not be able to read what they wrote in an intelligible way or so slowly that it is difficult to listen to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When communicating with people with apraxia, have patience and allow them to get through sentences themselves without assistance unless they ask for it. 
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2. Distortion of Sounds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some people with apraxia may speak more slowly, but the words they are saying are quite clear. Others may speak in distorted sounds that do not resemble regular speech<\/a>. Even if the words are recognizable, they may add certain sounds at the beginning, middle or end of the word, or replace some sounds with others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person could be talking with the speech that sounds quite regular until the end of the sentence, when they may add a strange sound at the end or leave out essential sounds altogether. The person with apraxia usually recognizes that his or her speech is not regular, and they may express distress or surprise at first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the case of a child, they may not realize that their speech is not understood by others, at least when they are very young. The distortion of sounds is one of the first symptoms of apraxia and can come on quite suddenly or gradually. 
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3. Incorrect Stress on Syllables<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To speak correctly, it is necessary to put the right stress on syllables. A word we normally can understand could become unintelligible if we simply put the emphasis on another syllable. Those who begin to learn languages <\/a>often find it a challenge to be understood because of this problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People with apraxia may suddenly lose the ability to put the right stress on words, even though they have been speaking normally for years. Children who have apraxia may never develop the ability to say words correctly, even though they can make all of the right sounds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The difficulty for someone with apraxia is imitating what is heard, especially young children. If other aspects of speech are somewhat intact, stressing the wrong syllables may still be evident. Someone with apraxia may stress all of the syllables, none of the syllables or just the wrong ones. 
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4. Exaggerated Movements of the Lips, Jaw or Tongue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Since apraxia is a dysfunction of one\u2019s motor abilities connected to speech, one may need to make more effort to speech than the usual person. This means that someone with apraxia may open their mouth <\/a>widely and close it before saying a word or jerk their jaw around while trying to speak. They may thrust their tongue forward in an awkward fashion and may not say words correctly because of these exaggerated movements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These motions are the way someone with apraxia tries to compensate for their difficulty speaking. They may make too much effort to move their face, jaw, and tongue in order to get the words out, even though these motions may be making their speech less intelligible. A physical therapist can help get someone with apraxia out of the habit of excessive movement. 
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5. Delayed Speech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many cases of apraxia occur in early childhood when a child would otherwise be just learning to speak. Not all children start saying their words at the same age, and speech delays are common even in children without profound problems with their motor or neurological system<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A child may experience a speech delay if there is more than one language in the household, for instance, or if there is a family history of late speaking. However, if the child is two and does not say basic words, it may be important to see a pediatrician or get tests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A child may be able to say a few words, but his or her vocabulary is not expanding or he may continually put the stress on the wrong syllable when saying a word. They may say a word several different ways and never quite stress the right syllable. 
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6. Small Range of Words<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Whether apraxia affects and adult or a small child<\/a>, you may notice that the sufferer uses a small range of words. This could be seen as the person simply having a poor vocabulary, but if the person is an adult and previously was articulate, then his or her suddenly using a small range of words should be a warning sign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, a child may be seen as having a delay in acquiring a broad vocabulary or having cognitive difficulty. If there is a huge difference between the child\u2019s small range of words and what is expected for a child at that age, there may be a profound problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the child seems to understand words that they can\u2019t say, then the problem seems to be a motor problem and not a cognitive issue. If they like to read at a high level, but if their vocabulary does not reflect their reading level, that may be another sign of a problem. 
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7. Difficulty Imitating Sounds and Words<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People who suffer from Apraxia have difficulty making sounds <\/a>and words. The issue isn\u2019t verbal processing, but with actually making the sounds one recognizes as speech. A person may understand a scientific lecture at a very high level and yet be unable to describe what he or she has learned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, they may be able to understand what is said to them, but even on repeated attempts, they may not be able to repeat what they have heard. The problem is not with memory or with hearing, but in translating the sounds into their own speech. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One way people are usually tested for apraxia is being asked to repeat after the speaker, not only the actual words but the pitch and the rhythm. As part of the speech therapy, someone will apraxia may be asked to imitate what is said to improve the ability to speak and repeat what is said. 
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8. Understanding but Inability to Speak<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When parents or teachers instruct their children, they may tell them something and ask the child to repeat what they heard. A child with apraxia may understand the material completely but may be incapable of repeating what they heard. This can be difficult in a classroom situation for children with apraxia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adults <\/a>with apraxia also are able to understand what is being said, but may not be able to respond well, or even if they can speak well, repeat exactly what they heard. Since apraxia suffers experience a motor rather than a cognitive person, the ability to understand is intact, but the speech is encumbered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When teaching someone with apraxia, a written exam may reflect their knowledge, provided that the motor abilities in their hands are not affected and they can write properly. When talking to someone with apraxia, remember that communication is not necessarily a reflection of what they comprehend. 
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Apraxia can occur in children and adults and may be gradual or the onset could be sudden. With children, their not meeting certain developmental mileposts, such as speaking, can be a warning sign of a deeper problem. In children, apraxia is often associated with autism, cerebral palsy or other conditions. In adults, apraxia can be the result of a traumatic neurological or brain injury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some apraxia sufferers may regain or develop an ability to speak coherently, whereas others will always show signs of the problem. A speech therapist is needed to encourage proper speech and help the apraxia sufferer develop the confidence to speak properly. Treating both the underlying problem and getting therapy for speech can help improve the prospects for sufferers of apraxia. An experienced speech therapist can help indicate what needs to be done and what can be expected in a given situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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