What is childhood apraxia of speech (CAS)?

CAS is a motor speech neurological (brain) condition that impacts some young children as they learn to speak. Children with CAS know what they want to say, but are simply unable to form the words.

How does childhood apraxia of speech affect?

Any child can have childhood apraxia of speech. The condition's cause is unknown.

Children are likely to have this condition if:

• A child's expressive communication and speech abilities are weaker than their linguistic capabilities, or they may not speak at all.
• A child struggles to process what they feel in their mouth, chew food, use a straw, or drink from a cup.
• A child has problems in the developing process of reading, writing, and spelling skills at school age.
• A child has fine motor skill trouble. For example, the child may not draw or pick small things.

How will my child be affected by childhood apraxia of speech?

Your child's verbal communication is impaired by childhood apraxia of speech. Children with CAS find it difficult to make the proper mouth movements to speak, even when they know what they want to say.

Although it is the fact that a child cannot talk for which they are diagnosed, children with CAS also often have trouble articulating properly in terms of using their mouths, lips, and tongues. Children may have difficulty with feeding, but many children with CAS retain only speech as an affected trait.

Treatment should be designed to alter movement patterns so that speech can be produced correctly and assist with the facilitation of communication. Augmentative techniques may include augmentative communication or gesture communication depending upon the level of severity diagnosed.

What are the signs and symptoms of childhood apraxia of speech?

Common symptoms you might recognize in your child with CAS:

• Your child says the same word differently every time they say it.
• Your child has a hard time starting or switching between sounds or words, and speech may sound as if it's coming in disjointed or "choppy" pieces.
• Your child has difficulty with the rhythm, timing and cadence of speech.

A child with CAS is often unintelligible. In addition to the three symptoms above, your child may also experience:

• Producing vowel sound errors
• Talking too slowly
• Making stress or voicing errors
• Difficulty in commencing oral actions to say anything
• Make errors with sounds consistently and inappropriately, using a range that is greater than what would occur in typical younger children
• Fail to vary your consonant or vowel sounds with enough frequency and variety.
• Longer words that are difficult to pronounce correctly
• Add on mouth movements whilst attempting to initiate speech sounds.
• Repeat a word or words in addition to some sound.
• Spell a word precisely one time and not again.
• Say automatic words (such as "hello" and "thank you") more easily than less routine words.
• Interchange sounds in words or add sounds or syllables to words.
• Have variations in the quality of the voice that arises from sound vibrations in the throat, mouth and nose (resonance or nasality differences)
• Have a history of late onset of first words and sounds.

What causes apraxia of speech in children?

The inability to train the motions required for articulation (speak) results in childhood apraxia of speech. We don't know the precise cause.

Children with CAS have some breakups of certain nerve pathways in the brain. The nerve pathways that carry out the planning of movements involved in speech take place within their brains. In children with CAS, the messages that should have been transmitted from their brain to other parts of their mouths by which their mouth words do not reach these parts.

CAS is not caused by weakness or paralysis of the muscles involved in speech, including the muscles of the lips, jaw, and tongue.

CAS may be a result of an acquired brain injury, such as a stroke, that causes interruptions to nerve pathways in a person's brain.

Additionally, there is proof that a CAS diagnosis may result from a hereditary disease. According to research, a severe form of CAS and other neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and epilepsy are caused by a mutation in the FOXP2 gene. The direct cause of CAS is being investigated further.

How is childhood apraxia of speech diagnosed?

Child apraxia of speech is often diagnosed by a speech-language pathologist. SLPs have much training and expertise in the treatment of speech disorders.

An SLP will review your child's medical history, including any known issues, in order to diagnose CAS. Additionally, the SLP will evaluate your child's oral-motor abilities, intonation (pitch), hearing, and speech patterns.

Additionally, the SLP will evaluate your child's speech by:

• Looking for indications of weakening in the mouth muscles.
• Assessing your child's proficiency with vowel and consonant sounds.
• Examining your child's nonverbal oral motor skills, including their ability to blow, smile, circle their lips, and move their mouth swiftly.
• Keep an eye on your child's voice pitch shifts and pauses.
• Assessing how well your child's words are understood by others.

Furthermore, genetic testing might assist in determining whether the illness's symptoms are caused by a gene mutation. A sample of your child's blood will be taken by your healthcare professional to look for any genetic abnormalities.

How is childhood apraxia of speech treated?

Treatment for CAS may be more intensive than treatment for other speech sound conditions. Some children see their speech-language pathologist three to five times per week to develop their speaking ability.

Some children with CAS will need several years of treatment, especially if they miss early childhood language development milestones.

CAS treatment includes:

• Enrolling in speech therapy will help your child learn words, sentences, and syllables at a speed that is specific to their requirements.
• Using electronic communication equipment or learning other communication methods like sign language.
• Repeated linguistic tasks outside of speech therapy and at home.

How can apraxia of speech in children be prevented?

Speech apraxia in children cannot be prevented. It's a neurological disorder related to the development of the brain.

Since some cases of CAS are associated with genetic mutations, if you are considering becoming pregnant, discuss genetic testing with your provider to determine whether you are at risk for having a child with a genetic condition.

What happens if my child has childhood apraxia of speech?

Your child might miss some language development milestones as they become older, such uttering their first words and expressing themselves in brief sentences.

Children with CAS do not outgrow the condition and there is no cure. Early treatment relieves frustration that your child may express if they want to say something but cannot convey that message.

Your medical provider can recommend a course of treatment after diagnosis and refer your child to a speech-language pathologist who will tailor treatment to address your child's specific symptoms to enhance their speech.

How do you care for a child with apraxia of speech?

The best way that you can help care for a child diagnosed with apraxia of speech is to offer him or her support as your child grows and develops. This will likely come in the way of one-to-one sessions, usually with an SLP (speech-language pathologist). Their SLP could provide homework your child can take back and apply in between visitations. It's crucial to assist your child in finishing their speech assignments at the same pace as their academic ones, much like they would with maths homework.

To monitor your child's progress and provide support as they progress, follow up with their SLP.

When should I visit my physician?

If you observe your child showing symptoms or signs of CAS, or if your child fails to meet language development milestones, including uttering first words or identifying everyday objects, call your doctor for a referral to a speech-language pathologist.

If your child cannot eat or coordinate the movement involving their mouth, except speech, seek the services of your healthcare provider right away.

What questions should I ask my doctor?

• In the event that my child fails to meet language development milestones, what should I do?
• Should my child see a speech-language pathologist?
• Is there a language communication device my child needs to speak?

Why Tender Palm Super-Speciality Hospital for childhood apraxia of speech (CAS)?

Tender Palm Hospital, owned by doctors, is renowned for attracting the most experienced professional in the country, with the finest neurologist and neurosurgeons specialized in childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Tender Palm stands out as the premier Neurology hospital in Lucknow, India. Boasting cutting-edge infrastructure and advanced technology, Tender Palm ensures top-notch medical care for its patients.

To seek an expert consultation for any Neurology condition

Call us at +91-9076972161
Email at care@tenderpalm.com

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