Health & WellbeingGeneralWhat is speech apraxia?
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What is speech apraxia?

By Melina - Assistant Editor Nov 17, 2022

Also known as verbal dyspraxia or dyspraxia of speech, apraxia is a speech disorder in which someone has difficulty pronouncing words.

In order to speak, messages must go from brain to mouth. These messages tell the muscles how and when to move to make sounds. Someone with apraxia of speech does not receive these messages correctly and so they may not be able to move their lips or tongue in the right way to say sounds and form words.

Acquired speech apraxia most typically affects adults and is caused by damage to the parts of the brain that are involved in speaking, perhaps as a result of a head injury, stroke or tumour.

The severity of apraxia will vary from person to person and depends on the type, extent, and location of the injury to the brain.

Speech Apraxia Symptoms

People with dyspraxia of speech may experience these symptoms:

  • Have trouble putting sounds and syllables together in the correct order to form words. They may leave sounds out, add new sounds or say sounds the wrong way.
  • Say a word or sound correctly one day and then be unable to say the same word or sound correctly again the next day.
  • They may start to speak more slowly.
  • They may sound more monotone in their speech.
  • In more severe cases the person may not be able to make any sounds at all.

Treatment for Speech Apraxia

Sometimes people with acquired speech apraxia will recover some or all of their speech abilities on their own. This is called spontaneous recovery.

Most people will benefit from speech and language therapy which is tailored to the individual seeking treatment. This will focus on getting the muscles to move correctly. The person may need to teach their muscles to make sounds again. Repeating sounds over and over and using the correct mouth movements can help. Slowing speech down to a steady beat may also help by allowing time to say the sounds.

Each person responds differently to therapy, and some people will make more progress than others. Support and encouragement from family members and friends are also important.

If you have trouble speaking, you should see a doctor as soon as you can. It is important to find out why and to get therapy to ensure it does not get worse.

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Melina - Assistant Editor

Hi I'm Melina, a mother of 3 teenage children and with a particular interest in all things health related. I run a busy household and smallholding alongside my work with Silversurfers, which currently includes dogs, fish, hens, ducks and pigs!

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