Apraxia of speech

Apraxia of speech makes it hard to speak well. People who have it understand language and know what they want to say. Their mouth and throat muscles are strong enough. But the brain can't plan the order and timing needed for those muscles to move together to create speech that's clear or correct.

If you have apraxia of speech, you may:

• Speak slowly.
• Often pause or struggle to say something.
• Be able to say only a few words clearly.
• Be able to make single sounds, but not be able to put them together into longer words or phrases.
• Sometimes say the wrong sound in a word, leave out some sounds, or make sounds in the wrong order.
• Be able to say a word or phrase in some situations, but not in others.

Your doctor will do a physical exam. You will also be asked questions about your past health. Your doctor may refer you to a speech-language pathologist (SLP).

Your doctor or SLP may suggest other tests. These tests are used to find out if you've had a stroke, a brain tumor, an injury to your brain, or a disease of your nervous system. Your doctor may use an MRI or other imaging test. This can help find out what might be going on in your brain that is causing your speech problem.

The SLP will also listen to you talk. They will watch how you say sounds and combinations of sounds. The SLP will also listen to how you pause between phrases, how you put stress on parts of words, and how loudly you speak.

Your doctor or speech-language pathologist may help improve apraxia of speech by giving you:

• Methods to help make your speech clearer.
• Strategies to help you communicate better.
• A computer or other device, if needed, to help you communicate.

You may need frequent speech therapy sessions. Your health care team will help you decide on the best schedule for treatment.

This condition can be frustrating. Try to be patient with yourself. Give yourself time to get the words out. Be patient with others. If they have trouble understanding you, try again. Try other methods to help listeners understand you. For example, try using apps for your phone or tablet.