adoptspecialneeds.org

FACTS:

• Oral apraxia is when a child has difficulty sticking out and wagging their tongue when requested to do so. Or the child may have difficulty sequencing movements for the command, "Show me how you kiss, now smile, now blow".
  
• Verbal apraxia  is when a child has difficulty with mouth movement for the production of speech. This can be at the level of sounds, syllables, words, or even phrases (connected speech), most commonly sounds sequencing.
  
• Often oral apraxia accompanies verbal apraxia, but that is not always the case.
  
•  Mutism is a lack of speech in children.
  
• It can be due to hearing loss, mouth or tongue deformities, difficulty forming sounds, or extreme stress as a result of trauma or anxiety.
  
• A child who does not speak or make sounds should have their hearing tested.
  
• The child should be checked to make sure they understand what is being said to them.
  
• Children with normal intelligence may be unable to speak because of extreme stress or anxiety about their life situation. They may begin to speak after becoming comfortable and at ease in their surroundings.

TREATMENT:

• Have child assessed by a doctor for problems with hearing or deformities of the mouth or tongue.
  
• Use pictures to help child communicate. For example, make a picture board with drawings for every day needs, like food, drink, bedtime, potty, etc.
  
• Encourage child to watch as caregiver forms their mouth, tongue, and lips to make sounds.
  
• Check out for “tongue tie”, the stringy piece of tissue that connects the tongue to the bottom of the mouth may be too tight to move tongue to form words.
  
•  Make sure the child can move their tongue from side to side and around their mouth. Can they lick their lips? Sweets may be used on the lips to test this.
  
• Most children with mutism or apraxia learn to speak normally with treatment, which may include surgery, hearing aids (if deaf), speech therapy, and reduction of stress/anxiety.