Apraxia

Apraxia of speech (AOS) is a neurological disorder affecting the ability to plan and execute the precise movements necessary for clear speech. It's also known as verbal apraxia or dyspraxia in clinical contexts.

Key characteristics of AOS include:

• Distortions or substitutions of speech sounds

• Slowed speech rate

• Separation of syllables with prolonged durations

• Equal stress on adjacent syllables

• Making errors in tone, stress, or rhythm

These features indicate difficulties in organizing and carrying out speech movements, especially with longer or more complex words. The severity of AOS can vary and may improve, remain stable, or worsen over time, depending on factors like the specific diagnosis and how much time has passed since the onset of symptoms.

Some other speech characteristics associated with AOS, though not exclusive to it, include:

• Articulation errors

• Prolonged sounds and inconsistent errors

• Condensing syllables (e.g., saying "disaur" instead of "dinosaur")

• Slow speech rate and irregularities in rhythm

• Difficulty with rapid and sequential speech movements

• Disrupted fluency, often with attempts at self-correction and noticeable struggles to initiate or execute speech sounds, sometimes accompanied by repeated sounds or syllables.

Learn more about apraxia of speech by visiting ASHA’s website.