Apraxia of Speech and Intellectual Disability

** My buddys real name is protected for privacy reasons

My special needs buddy, Sarah**, is twenty years old, but has the mindset of a young
child and cannot communicate her points. She was born with and has been diagnosed with two
disabilities -- speech apraxia and intellectual disability. From a very young age, these disabilities
have affected her daily life.
Throughout the past several months, I have been given the opportunity to talk to Sarahs
mother and do research of my own on Sarahs conditions. I want to study neuroscience and
psychology, and I believed that this was a good starting place.

Apraxia of Speech

Since the first time I spoke with Sarah, it was evident that she had speech issues. She
has a difficult time annunciating her words and making understood the things shes trying to
convey. I later talked to her mother and she told me that Sarah was born with apraxia of speech.
She didnt go very far into detail, so I researched the disorder on my own.

1. CAUSES: This disorder has nothing to do with intellectual problems, but everything to do
with the brains connective issues; its a neurological disorder. Apraxia of speech is
caused by brain damage to the area of the brain that controls muscle movement. Here,
there is no problem understanding and comprehending language, only forming the
correct movements to create the sounds necessary to communicate (Apraxia:
Symptoms). This disorder can be the result of cases of traumatic brain injury -- stroke,
tumor, etc (Apraxia of Speech in Adults). However, Sarah was born with the disorder. It
didnt come as an effect of some outside, secondary trauma that hit all of the sudden.
Apraxia of speech can come as a birth defect due to several neurological and
neurodevelopmental issues. This can be illness, injury, or infection prior to birth, or a
random defect in fetal development. It can also be a secondary effect of another
disorder. Last but not least, this disorder may be completely untraceable. There is not
always a way to pinpoint the origin of apraxia of speech (What).
2. SYMPTOMS: There are several leading symptoms for apraxia of speech, all relating to
troubles with communication. For example, many of those diagnosed with apraxia of
speech talk slowly, have trouble making certain speech sounds, omit consonant sounds
at the beginning and ending of words, and take repeated attempts at pronouncing a
word (Apraxia of Speech in Adults, Apraxia: Symptoms). Sarah encounters each of
these symptoms. Oftentimes, people have a difficult time understanding her, and she
tends to become embarrassed and/or frustrated when she has to try to repeat herself in
a way to make others understand the points shes trying to convey.
3. TREATMENT: Apraxia of speech is diagnosed by a speech-language pathologist (SLP).
This is done through a series of experiments, including the patients motor and sound
 creating abilities (Apraxia of Speech in Adults). There are a few ways to help treat
apraxia of speech. Common exercises that improve speech abilities are repeatedly
practicing the annunciation and formation of challenging words, looking in a mirror or
touching face while practicing, meeting one-on-one with a SLP, etc (Apraxia:
Symptoms). In severe cases, those with apraxia of speech may have to rely on different
means of communication -- for example, the use of sign language (Frequently). At a
very young age, Sarah was diagnosed with apraxia of speech by a SLP. She then has
gone on to receive treatment through speech therapy lessons, continually working to
better her speech capabilities.

Intellectual Disability

Along with speech difficulties, it is also evident that Sarah has some type of cognitive
disorder. She has trouble reading, writing, and making eye contact, in addition to annunciating
clearly. Her mother told me that when Sarah was young, she (Sarahs mother) was determined
to find a label for Sarahs condition so that they could move forward and work toward treatment.
However, the farthest they ever got in answers was that Sarah had an intellectual disability.
That is an extremely broad statement, and doesnt help pinpoint any conditions.
An intellectual disability is any disability that causes difficulty in intellectual functioning,
along with everyday behavior and skills (Frequently). For example, Sarah has a very difficult
time making eye contact. She wont look people in the eyes when they speak to her, and she
wont look at the camera when her picture is being taken. She also often gives off random, loud
bursts of laughter that make people turn their heads. Another difficulty that Sarah encounters is
literature. She is twenty years old and still reads and writes on the level of a young elementary
school student.
One disability that is common among those who suffer from apraxia is aphasia. This
disorder is oftentimes accompanied with other neurological disorders, and there is often a
difficulty with speaking, reading, and writing (Aphasia). Sarah suffers from each of those
symptoms, though there is no saying for sure that she has aphasia.
Because her diagnosis is so broad, theres not much that Sarahs family can do for
treatment. She attends speech, physical, and occupational therapies to try to better herself, but
other than that, there is nothing they can do.
 Bibliography

"Aphasia." Averican Speech-Language-Hearing Association. ASHA, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

"Apraxia of Speech." National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, 06 Mar. 2017. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

"Apraxia of Speech in Adults." Averican Speech-Language-Hearing Association. ASHA, n.d.

Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

"Apraxia: Symptoms, Causes, Tests, Treatments." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

"Frequently Asked Questions on Intellectual Disability." FAQs on Intellectual Disability. N.p., n.d.
Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

"What Causes Childhood Apraxia of Speech and Is It Preventable?" Apraxia Kids. N.p., n.d.
Web. 24 Apr. 2017.