Symptoms of Apraxia
People with either form of speech apraxia may have a number of different symptoms, which may include:
• A tendency to grope for words or sounds
• Limited ability to make speech sounds automatically
• Difficulty putting sounds or syllables together in the correct order to form words
• Incorrect timing of speech movements and their accompanying sounds
• Increased tendency to make errors as the length of words or sentences increases
• Inconsistent speech errors, even when repeating a word that’s just been said
• Errors using vowels
• A tendency to say a word several times before saying it the right way
• Inconsistent or improper use of rhythms, stresses, and inflections of speech that are used to convey meaning
• Children with developmental apraxia may also:
? Understand language better than they are able to use it
? Have difficulty organizing spoken information clearly
? Demonstrate poor language skills, including poor vocabulary and grammar
? Experience problems with reading, writing, spelling, or math
? Have other speech disorders, coordination or “motor-skill” problems
? Suffer from chewing and swallowing difficulties.
