Developmental verbal dyspraxia, also known as childhood apraxia of speech and developmental apraxia of speech, is a condition in which an individual has problems saying sounds, syllables and words. This is not because of muscle weakness or paralysis.
Verbal dyspraxia (dis-prax-ee-a) is a speech disorder. A person with verbal dyspraxia has difficulty placing muscles in the correct position to produce speech. The muscles have not been damaged. The messages from the brain that tell the muscles what to do have been affected.
CAS is sometimes called verbal dyspraxia or developmental apraxia. Even though the word “developmental" is used, CAS is not a problem that children outgrow. A child with CAS will not learn speech sounds in typical order and will not make progress without treatment.
Children with verbal dyspraxia find it hard to produce individual speech sounds and to put sounds together in the right order in words. As a result, their speech is often hard to understand. Children with verbal dyspraxia have speech that sounds unusual; they don't just sound like a younger child.
Apraxia can be misdiagnosed
In some cases, kids with apraxia are misdiagnosed with ASD, as their articulatory and phonological abilities can be severe. In other cases, children with phonological difficulties are misdiagnosed with ASD when in fact, they are not on the autism spectrum.
Apraxia and Autism: They Frequently Occur Together
A study published in 2015 showed that 64% of the children initially diagnosed with ASD also have apraxia. 36.8% of the children diagnosed with apraxia of speech also had autism, and 23.3% of the children received a dual diagnosis.
Dyspraxia/DCD and autism are separate conditions but do share some similar characteristics. People can have both autism and dyspraxia/DCD and it is important that both diagnoses are given where appropriate, to enable a full understanding of a person's needs.
Also known as Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), DVD/CAS is a rare and distinct speech sound disorder, comprising only a tiny percentage of children with speech disorders.
What is dyspraxia ? Children with dyspraxia have problems with smooth and coordinated movements. Dyspraxia is often present after a brain injury. Dyspraxia brought on by a brain injury can improve with time and therapy.
It is generally recognised that children with developmental verbal dyspraxia do not get better without help. Usually they require regular, direct therapy delivered by a Speech and Language Therapist, supported by frequent practise outside the therapy sessions e.g. at home and /or in school.
CAS may be the result of brain (neurological) conditions or injury, such as a stroke, infections or traumatic brain injury. CAS may also occur as a symptom of a genetic disorder, syndrome or metabolic condition. For example, CAS occurs more frequently in children with galactosemia.
Many children with autism spectrum disorders will exhibit symptoms of dyspraxia, and vice-versa. Shared symptoms may include difficulties with spoken language, sensitivity to light and noise, problems concentrating, and others. However, this does not mean that they are the same.
Adults with dyspraxia sometimes display social and emotional difficulties, as well as problems with time management, planning and personal organisation. This may affect the person's education or employment. Dyspraxia may make learning a new skill more difficult.
As with many other neurodivergent conditions, a family history of dyspraxia may increase the likelihood of a child developing dyspraxia. Despite this, scientists have not been able to find which genes may be involved in the condition.
They often have immature speech that is both slow and difficult to understand. Even the most basic school age skills are difficult to master. Printing, playing ball, tying shoes, even assembling puzzles are all activities that seem to highlight their dyspraxia.
As a result, dyspraxia is a protected disability under the Equality Act. This means that people with dyspraxia shouldn't face any discrimination and should be provided with 'reasonable adjustments' for their disability.
Dyspraxia often co-occurs with ADHD, but the two conditions are separate. Luckily, there are support groups, online resources, and coping skills for dyspraxic individuals seeking a diagnosis.
Myth #4: Kids with dyspraxia tend to have low intelligence.
Fact: There's no connection between dyspraxia and IQ . Having dyspraxia doesn't mean a child isn't intelligent. However, the way kids with dyspraxia behave might make them appear less capable than they are.
While ADHD is a learning difficulty that often affects attention, behavior or both, dyspraxia has to do with fine motor skills, language and planning abilities and is not always classed as a learning difficulty.
Dyspraxia is a difficulty with planning and coordinating motor movements, in the absence of any muscle weakness. This can affect an individual's speech and language as the individual may find it difficult to plan and coordinate the movements needed for speech.
being slow to pick up new skills – they need encouragement and repetition to help them learn. difficulty making friends – they may avoid taking part in team games and may be bullied for being "different" or clumsy. behaviour problems – often stemming from a child's frustration with their symptoms. low self-esteem.
There is no way to prevent childhood apraxia of speech. It's a neurological condition tied to brain development. Since some cases of CAS link to genetic mutations, if you plan on becoming pregnant, ask your healthcare provider about genetic testing to assess your risk of having a child with a genetic condition.