Dyspraxia, also known as verbal dyspraxia or apraxia of speech, is a motor speech disorder which impacts an individuals ability to programme and initiate speech sounds.
Messages from the brain to the mouth are disrupted, impacting how easily an individual can move the muscles of their lips and tongue to form various sounds. This can happen as a result of a stroke, a brain injury or a brain tumour.
When it comes to therapy, repetition is key. The individual must essentially ‘re-learn,’ how to form speech sounds once again. This involves an initial model of the correct sound, with the individual then attempting to copy. Observing how the word is formed; looking at the shape of the mouth with each sound, makes it easier to copy.
Depending on the severity of the dyspraxia, AAC (Alternative Augmentative Communication) may also be introduced during therapy. See our blog about AAC for further details: Speech Matters Speech Therapy » Our Top 10 Free AAC Apps, Resources and Websites
