CAS can also be referred to as dyspraxia, developmental verbal dyspraxia (DVD), or speech
Some Facts About Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia (DVD)
DVD is a rare speech condition, which appears to be more common in boys than girls. Some children might have a milder case and others might be more severely affected.
CAS is sometimes called verbal dyspraxia or developmental apraxia. Even though the word “developmental" is used, CAS is not a problem that children outgrow. A child with CAS will not learn speech sounds in typical order and will not make progress without treatment.
Also known as CAS, childhood apraxia of speech is a motor speech disorder that can sometimes accompany autism. Children with apraxia often exhibit different symptoms since the brain of each child has different strengths and weaknesses that correspond to movements made by the mouth, lips, jaw, and tongue.
There is no cure for DVD/CAS, but with appropriate, intensive intervention, people with the disorder can improve significantly. DVD/CAS requires various forms of therapy which varies with the individual needs of the patient. Typically, treatment involves one-on-one therapy with a speech language pathologist (SLP).
So although there are similarities, autism is primarily a social and communication disorder and dyspraxia is primarily a motor skills disorder. If your child has one of these conditions but you feel they also have other difficulties, you may think about further assessment.
Dyspraxia is most commonly caused by stroke or acquired brain injury. There are 2 types of Dyspraxia: (1) Oral dyspraxia– difficulty with non-verbal tasks - when asked to do so (E.g. please poke out your tongue), however the person can perform non-verbal tasks successfully and automatically (E.g. licking an ice cream).
Children with verbal dyspraxia will need to see a speech and language therapist for treatment and progress is often quite slow. They will need regular, direct therapy. Children with verbal dyspraxia might use different ways to communicate e.g. signing or special equipment that can be programmed to talk for them.
A person with verbal dyspraxia has difficulty placing muscles in the correct position to produce speech. The muscles have not been damaged. The messages from the brain that tell the muscles what to do have been affected. Dyspraxia does not affect a person's ability to understand.
They do not usually have the accompanying learning disabilities associated with autism, but they may have specific learning difficulties. These may include dyslexia and dyspraxia or other conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and epilepsy.
Myth #4: Kids with dyspraxia tend to have low intelligence.
Fact: There's no connection between dyspraxia and IQ . Having dyspraxia doesn't mean a child isn't intelligent. However, the way kids with dyspraxia behave might make them appear less capable than they are.
Dyspraxia does not affect your intelligence. It can affect your co-ordination skills – such as tasks requiring balance, playing sports or learning to drive a car.
Dyspraxia does not affect a person's IQ, but they may often have to navigate a mind which can be unorganized, meaning they are usually very intelligent people. Navigating around these barriers results in creating strategies to overcome problems really well.
What causes developmental verbal dyspraxia? Acquired verbal dyspraxia is caused by damage to brain specific to the regions that involve the process of speaking. This can occur in a child after an infection, traumatic brain injury, brain tumour, stroke or an illness that can affect the functioning of the brain.
Does dyspraxia/DCD run in families? Dyspraxia/DCD seems to run in families in some cases, but to date, no specific gene has been identified. It is likely that there are many different causes of dyspraxia/DCD, and genetics may be one.
While they do not get worse over time, their challenges may become more apparent with increasing academic demands. They have to work harder and/or differently than their peers to achieve the same goals. Despite their difficulties, pupils with dyspraxia can and do learn to perform some motor tasks quite well.
Daniel Radcliffe (Actor)
Best known for his titular role in the Harry Potter films, Daniel revealed that he had a mild form of dyspraxia in 2008 in an interview for his Broadway debut in Equus. He was unsuccessful at school and 'he sometimes still has trouble tying his shoelaces.
Dyspraxia as a hidden disability
Dyspraxia is considered to be a hidden disability as the physical signs can be difficult to recognise. Dyspraxia is also less well known and often misunderstood, many people with dyspraxia do not realise they have the condition until later in life.
These symptoms are usually noticed between ages 18 months and 2 years, and may indicate suspected CAS . As children produce more speech, usually between ages 2 and 4, characteristics that likely indicate CAS include: Vowel and consonant distortions.
Tend to get stressed, depressed and anxious easily. May have difficulty sleeping. Prone to low self-esteem, emotional outbursts, phobias, fears, obsessions, compulsions and addictive behaviour.
Dyspraxia can make it difficult for children to develop social skills, and they may have trouble getting along with peers. Though they are intelligent, these children may seem immature and some may develop phobias and obsessive behavior.
generally it impacts fine motor skills (e.g. holding a pencil) and/or gross motor skills (e.g. riding a bicycle). It can also impact the ability to organise yourself, remember information and control actions. processing differences. They may be sensory avoidant e.g. leaving a room when noises are too loud for them.
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) or Dyspraxia is commonly associated with difficulties with movement, when in fact there are many strengths associated with this neurotype. Big picture thinking, problem solving, tenacity, creativity and empathy are all qualities associated with DCD.
Diagnosing DCD
Health professionals diagnose DCD by looking at your child's movement skills and how these skills affect your child's everyday life. They might also do a general health check to rule out other causes for your child's movement problems.