3160 North Arizona Avenue, Suite 105, Chandler, Arizona 85225
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Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)
Accurate Assessment and Treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)
At Ridge Zeller Therapy, we have a team of Speech-Language Pathologists specially trained in the accurate assessment and treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), including evidence-based treatments such as Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC) for treatment of moderate to severe CAS.
Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a rare motor speech disorder, occurring in only 1-2 children per 1,000. Children with CAS have difficulty making the necessary movements to produce speech because the brain has difficulty coordinating movements to form speech. Children with Apraxia of Speech struggle with coordinating their jaw movements with their lips and tongues to make the correct sounds and may have difficulty moving smoothly from one sound to the next sound. Treatment of CAS depends on the severity of the disorder. Unlike traditional speech therapy, the most effective treatments are based on the principles of motor learning. Therefore, scientifically based treatment by a Speech-Language Pathologist specifically trained in the proper assessment and treatment is necessary to treat the underlying motor disorder. Early and accurate intervention is highly important to treatment success. Delayed treatment or not receiving the correct treatment may result in a greater lifelong disability.
If your child is experiencing symptoms of Apraxia of Speech. Schedule an evaluation with one of our speech-language pathologists specifically trained in assessment and treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech.
Signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech
- Vowel Distortion - Vowels may sound close to the correct vowel sound or may sound like it is a blend between two different vowel sounds.
- Awkward Speech - Struggling to speak, moving their mouth as if they were talking but not producing sounds or making extra or awkward looking movements while speaking. These difficulties are due to the underlying motor disorder resulting in inefficiency with motor planning/programming for speech.
- Monotone or Robot-like Speech - stressing all syllables equally (monotone) or having unusual pauses within or between syllables which can make their speech sound robot-like.
- Voicing Errors - confusing voiced sounds and unvoiced sounds, such that it can be hard to tell the difference between "papa" and "baba" or "do" and "two" or "pie" sounding like "bye."
- Inconsistency of Words - Struggling to say a word, even if they have said the word correctly in the past. Your child may also say the same word many different ways with different sounds or only be able to say the word in certain situations.
Speech-Language Pathologists specially trained in assessment and treatment of CAS.
At Ridge Zeller Therapy, we have a team of Speech-Language Pathologists specifically trained in the accurate diagnosis and treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). We use scientifically based assessments and treatments specific to appropriately addressing Childhood Apraxia of Speech. We will work with your child to design an individualized program that meets your child's unique needs.