Apraxia of Speech: How to Help Your Apraxia Child

Apraxia of speech is a medical diagnosis given to children who have a speech difficulty that is more than just a delay. Apraxia of speech and oral apraxia make it hard for a child to communicate with you and others, much of which is due to the weak muscles in the mouth, often causing frustration within the child causing them to shut down and possibly regress. If your child has been diagnosed with apraxia then your next steps are to figure out what you can do to help.

The Importance of Help:

One of the most important things a parent can do to encourage a child with apraxia is to get as much speech therapy as soon as possible, the earlier the better. My son wasn't diagnosed with apraxia until he was three years old, but was getting services since eighteen months of age. Children will begin to show signs of the speech delay before the diagnoses is clear in most cases. You should get early intervention services and get an service plan outlining short and long term goals put together. The speech therapist will put this together, with your help and will be the basis for monitoring your child's progress and helping him/her achieve their speech goals.

Educate Yourself:

If you are like me, then you may not have ever heard of apraxia until you were told that your child has it. There isn't a lot of talk about apraxia, but being a parent of a son who has it, I can attest to the importance of getting the word out. Much information concerning apraxia is still unknown, such as the cause, but there is still a lot of information that can be found to help you better understand what it is your child needs from you to help him/her progress. Educating yourself about your child's speech delay will also put your mind to rest on many of your unanswered questions. You can seek out information through your child's doctor, speech therapist and I have found that Apraxia-Kids is a great Website with loads of very helpful information.

Practice Patience:

Have you ever said something to someone over the phone and they say "what?" so you repeat yourself and they say your cutting you and they cant hear you, but the third time you say it your probably frustrated, even though it's not their fault and may repeat yourself in an aggravated tone or shout out "forget it, never mind!" Well children with apraxia are often not understood, since their word are often missing component sounds vital to decoding the words. It's easy for them to feel frustration and easy for you, the parent to get frustrated as well. My son, for example always wants to confirm I understand him, so almost everything he says, I have to repeat back to him. This can be stressful at times, since I can't always figure out what he is saying. At times i want to cry because my heart breaks for him because I see and hear the effort he is willing to make, but I just can't put it all together. In return for my lack of understanding, my son will begin to cry, often leading to a full blown tantrum. If a similar situation has played out in your home, know that your not alone! But it's so important that we as parents remain as calm as we can, and encourage them to keep trying. Tell your child that they are doing so good, and your so proud of them to encourage them to keep trying.

Tools to Help:

A picture book is a great idea to help with those frustrated moments. Although you can't get every word in a book, you can get the basics. Putting pictures of a cup and food for them to point at when they are thirst and hungry for example can ease the stress of your child trying to repettive tell you he/she is hungry. On the down side, children with apraxia need that extra work of putting sounds together, so at times, pointing to an object or picture in a book may encourage them to stop using their word, which is NOT what you want. Instead have your child say the word as they point to it. Sign language is another great tool for kids with apraxia, but again, they should attempt to say the word as they are singing it. Some children may have the opportunity to have a sound board in which they point to a picture and the sound board audibly says the word out loud. You can ask if it is recommended your child use this device, and it may be covered through insurance, or SSI (if you receive SSI) if your child has been approved for it.

I barely skimmed the surface for Apraxia, i plan on writing more articles in the future which will go more in depth and cover different topic, but I hope this article has benefited you in some way and that you found it helpful. You may also want to read Speech Delay: Oral Exercises That Can Help Your Child's Speech

Sources:

www.apraxia-kids.org

http://www.apraxiaspeaks.com/