Acquired apraxia of speech (AOS) is a motor‑speech disorder that affects a person’s ability to plan and coordinate the movements needed for clear speech. The muscles of the lips, tongue, and jaw are usually healthy, but the brain has difficulty sending the correct instructions, making it hard to form sounds accurately or sequence them into words.
Some people experience only mild disruption to their speech, while others may find it extremely difficult to produce any recognisable sounds. It can be deeply frustrating to know exactly what you want to say but be unable to get the words out.
Apraxia can affect different types of voluntary movement. For example, oral apraxia involves difficulty controlling mouth movements on command (e.g. smiling or chewing), even though automatic actions like yawning or sneezing remain intact.
A person may have apraxia of speech alone or alongside other communication difficulties. It often co‑occurs with aphasia (language impairment) or dysarthria (muscle‑based speech changes), depending on the areas of the brain affected.
How to Help Someone with Apraxia of Speech
- Be patient, speech may take effort and time to plan.
- Encourage slow, deliberate attempts rather than rushing.
- Reduce pressure by allowing alternative communication methods.
- Focus on communication success, not perfection.
- Avoid correcting every error; support confidence and participation.
- Refer to a Speech Language Therapist (SLT).