Characteristics of Children with Verbal Dyspraxia (Apraxia of Speech)

When my son was diagnosed with Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia (DVD) at duke Medical Center, I was given many packets of information. I did not want to think that my son had this disorder and was in denial until I read the characteristics that children with DVD possess. He had them all! This information was instrumental in helping me cope with my son’s disorder.

The following is a list of most of the characteristics that children with DVD MAY have (they won’t necessarily have ALL the characteristics.)

The child is described as a “quiet” baby.” There is not much vocalization and babbling as an infant.

The receptive language is way ahead of expressive language. The child understands at a higher level than he/she can express.

The child uses other forms of communications – pointing, grunting, and other gestures instead of talking.

The child may have feeding difficulties. The child may be picky with textures, temperature, etc. with food.

The child may “grope” with his/her mouth trying to figure out how to make the correct sounds come out. The child may also say a word numerous times while trying to figure out how to say the next word correctly.

	The child may be able to say a particular word in isolation, but when combined with others (such as in a sentence or phrase) they may make errors.
	The child may have a limited repertoire of consonant sounds. They may leave off the first consonant or the last consonant all together.

The child may have problems with multi-syllabic words. They may say the word different each time they try. Speech errors in children with DVD are often referred to as inconsistent or unpredictable.

The child may make vowel errors constantly.

The child may speak too fast or too slow. Their voices may sound monotone. They may put stress on the incorrect syllables.

Oral apraxia may also accompany verbal apraxia. Oral apraxia is the inability to perform non speech tasks on command. Examples are blowing, licking lips, puffing out cheeks, sticking out tongue, etc.

The incidence of “pure” verbal dyspraxia is very low – Most children with DVD have a number of other speech and language problems that contribute to their difficulty speaking (see Associated Symptoms).

Most children with DVD exhibit other “soft” neurological signs – or “symptoms” of dyspraxia. They may have sensory issues, hypotonia, hypersensitivity. They may have a hard time organizing and coordinating fine motor skills.