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Adult Motor Speech

Apraxia of Speech

Therapy for adults experiencing difficulty planning and producing speech movements.

Overview

What is apraxia of speech?

Apraxia of speech (AOS) is a motor speech disorder that affects the brain’s ability to plan and program the movements needed for speech. A person with AOS usually knows what they want to say, but the brain has trouble planning the movements needed to say it clearly.

AOS can make speech sound slow, effortful, or inconsistent. A person may struggle with certain sounds or words, make different errors when trying the same word, or have more trouble as words and phrases get longer or more complex. Changes in rhythm and stress may also be present.

Apraxia of speech is not caused by weakness of the speech muscles. That helps distinguish it from dysarthria, which involves weakness or reduced control of the muscles used for speech. AOS can happen on its own or alongside aphasia or dysarthria.

Speech-language pathologists evaluate speech patterns to understand the problem and create an individualized treatment plan. Therapy for AOS usually focuses on repeated, structured practice of speech movements to improve accuracy, consistency, and efficiency.

Common signs

What adults and families may notice

  • Difficulty starting words or planning how to say them
  • Inconsistent speech errors from one attempt to the next
  • Greater difficulty with longer words, phrases, or more complex sequences
  • Visible groping or effort when trying to speak
  • Speech that sounds slow, broken apart, or less natural than before
  • Frustration with knowing the message but not being able to say it clearly

How therapy may help

Treatment can focus on...

  • Speech movement planning and programming: practicing the movements and sequences needed to produce sounds, syllables, words, and phrases more accurately.
  • Accurate sound production: improving the accuracy and consistency of speech sounds and reducing sound distortions or errors.
  • Cueing and feedback: using auditory, visual, verbal, and sometimes tactile cues to support accurate speech production.
  • Rate, rhythm, and prosody: working on speech rate, syllable stress, rhythm, and intonation when these areas are affected.
  • Increasing speech complexity: progressing from simpler speech movements to longer or more complex words, phrases, and sentences as appropriate.
  • Functional communication: practicing personally meaningful words, phrases, or conversational scripts that are useful in everyday life.
  • Communication strategies and AAC: using writing, gestures, communication supports, or AAC when needed to supplement speech and help the person communicate successfully.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is apraxia of speech?

Apraxia of speech is a motor speech disorder that affects the brain’s ability to plan and program the movements needed for speech. A person may know what they want to say but have difficulty producing words accurately and consistently, especially as speech becomes longer or more complex. Unlike dysarthria, apraxia of speech is primarily related to motor planning and programming rather than muscle weakness.

Questions about motor speech changes?

We're here to help you understand whether evaluation or therapy may be useful.

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