How to Treat Apraxia of Speech: Things That Help

Childhood apraxia of speech is a condition where the child has difficulties sequencing speech sounds or has trouble coordinating oral-motor movements. Oftentimes, childhood apraxia of speech comes with other developmental conditions such as global developmental delay (GDD), autism, down syndrome, and others. In some instances, it can exist on its own, and the child has typical abilities to understand language. Perhaps you have arrived at this post wanting to know how to treat apraxia of speech if you see these signs in your child.

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How to diagnose apraxia of speech

Getting a formal diagnosis for apraxia of speech is a great first step in getting the treatment you need for your child. It can point you in the right direction to find a speech-language pathologist, as well as get programs and materials needed depending on the kind and severity of apraxia.

You can consult your pediatrician or developmental pediatrician if you notice some or all of these signs in your child:

• Can point to, understand, or convey language but has difficulty pronouncing words, especially those with consonants
• Difficulties stringing words with many syllables (2-4 syllable words)
• Uses gestures, pictures, and other ways to communicate elaborate thoughts but cannot say the words for it
• Says the same word in different ways, has inconsistencies in using speech sounds

At what age is apraxia diagnosed?

Typically, apraxia is diagnosed around the time a child is expected to communicate through words. Around 2-4 years old, some parents will have concerns about atypical speech patterns.

The signs mentioned above that point to apraxia of speech, but finding a specialist for a comprehensive diagnosis can also help differentiate from other conditions such as articulation problems, dysarthria, hearing impairment, etc.

If you are still on the process of getting a diagnosis and want to find ways on how to treat apraxia of speech at home, below are some things that could help.

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How to help apraxia at home: Strategies to use

Frequent repetition of important words

If your child has difficulties conveying their needs through speech, you can make a list of 5-10 target words to practice very frequently. Increasing frequency of practicing these words can help in mastering the oral motor movements needed to make the sounds.

For example, you can make a list of needs such as “eat”, “play”, “sleep”, “drink”, and “mama”. You can practice this with your child but saying the word slowly and pointing to your mouth as you model it. It can help them observe the right movements needed to say the words.

Have a dedicated time to practice your important words frequently, at least once or twice a day, but most importantly, don’t forget to use them within context.

Use of specialized workbooks

Workbooks can also help as your child master many words as they begin to expand their repertoire. In the material “Apraxia Book for Kids”, you can find the various speech sound mouth placements and other cues you can use to help your child at home.

The workbook also expand to teach the following:

• Consonant and vowel word combinations
• Diphthongs
• Tactile, kinesthetic and auditory cues
• Bonus reinforcement sheets to motivate learning

By using the “Apraxia Book for Kids”, you can supplement teaching various oral motor movements and speech sounds along with the right kind of formal intervention. Being resourceful and doing your part can help you on how to treat childhood apraxia of speech. Check it out on Amazon.

Practicing gross motor, fine motor, and oral motor coordination

Some children do not only have issues when oral motor speech, but they can also display some difficulties coordinating gross motor and fine motor movements which translates to oral motor difficulties as well. To work on motor coorindation in general, you can start by having some dedicated activities for that at home.

These can include sports games such as kicking or passing balls, catching objects, using playground equipment, picking up objects with fingers, blowing bubbles, and others. Any movement-related activity that works on coordination can help.

Increase interaction with communicative partners

Communicative partners can be peers, siblings, parents, and other people that the child can interact with to practice speech sounds. You can create opportunities for them to play and practice the target words. Social interaction is one of the great ways to practice speech in natural settings.

Not only will children learn how to say the target words, but also when they can be used. This is also an important aspect on how to treat apraxia of speech.

I hope these strategies can help you out! Don’t forget to check out “Apraxia Book for Kids” on Amazon:

Also read:

How to Fix Dyscalculia: Strategies to Do

How to Teach Opinion Writing for Kids

Auditory Memory Disorder: Strategies To Improve for Kids and Adults

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