Warning Signs of a Late Talker
While some "late talkers" eventually start talking, there are many who are affected by a developmental disorder called oral apraxia or verbal apraxia. There are slight differences between these two disorders, however, because they usually occur together and early diagnosis is important, looking for the warning signs of either can help you potentially diagnose both. Signs of oral apraxia can be seen as early as 18 months -- about a year before verbal apraxia can be diagnosed -- and this "extra" time can help children and families who are dealing with these conditions. However, in order to find out if this is the problem, parents need to be aware of the warning signs of oral apraxia.
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What is Oral Apraxia?
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Oral apraxia is a difficulty with the volitional control of mouth movements which don't involve speech. Volitional control means that when asked to perform such movements -- as when asked to wiggle his tongue, lick his lips, or make a "kiss face" -- he has difficulty. The child will struggle to perform the movements and this may show in his attempts to get his mouth or tongue in the right position. Oral apraxia can occur in conjunction with other developmental issues as well.
What Are the Warning Signs?
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While oral apraxia needs to be diagnosed by a medical professional, a parent needs to know what to look for in order to know if she needs to take her child to a doctor. A child exhibiting just a few symptoms, especially if they are mild, may not have oral apraxia, but it is better to have him tested. Signs include delay of speech, trouble with articulation of the mouth and tongue -- such as the inability to blow out candles or blow bubbles -- and trouble licking food from his lips. Children may also exhibit a lack of facial expressions.
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What is Verbal Apraxia?
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Verbal apraxia usually occurs in conjunction with oral apraxia, but it is a separate disorder. With verbal apraxia there is a problem with the brain's communication of speech to the muscles of the mouth. These muscles don't exhibit any weakness or abnormality; there is simply a block that makes it difficult for a child to form the words that she wants to say. Neither disorder affects a child's intelligence or cognitive abilities and it can be difficult for parents to believe their child has a developmental disorder because most wrongly associate such developmental disorders with a lack of intelligence. Apraxia is a difficulty in volitional articulation of the mouth and does not affect a child's ability to understand words or use words, merely her ability to say them.
Warning Signs of Verbal Apraxia
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The signs of verbal apraxia usually appear later than those of oral apraxia and looking for the signs of oral apraxia will often give parents a head start in treating this disorder. However, sometimes it is hard to see the symptoms of oral apraxia in children who are not yet "late talkers." The warning signs of verbal apraxia include little or no babbling sounds as an infant, frustration with their inability to communicate and an avoidance of speech such as using grunts or gestures to communicate. Children with verbal apraxia may have difficulty imitating sounds and be unable to produce many consonant sounds and their vowel sounds may be limited as well.
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