SkiptomaincontentOfficialwebsitesuse.govA.govwebsitebelongstoanofficialgovernmentorganizationintheUnitedStates.Secure.govwebsitesuseHTTPSAlock(LockAlockedpadlock)orhttps://meansyou'vesafelyconnectedtothe.govwebsite.Sharesensitiveinformationonlyonofficial,securewebsites.GetthelatestpublichealthinformationfromCDCGetthelatestresearchinformationfromNIH | EspañolNIHstaffguidanceoncoronavirus(NIHOnly)BreadcrumbHomeHealthInformationApraxiaofSpeechOnthispage:Whatisapraxiaofspeech?Whatarethetypesandcausesofapraxiaofspeech?Whatarethesymptomsofapraxiaofspeech?Howisapraxiaofspeechdiagnosed?Howisapraxiaofspeechtreated?Whatresearchisbeingdonetobetterunderstandapraxiaofspeech?WherecanIfindadditionalinformationaboutapraxiaofspeech?Whatisapraxiaofspeech?Apraxiaofspeech(AOS)—alsoknownasacquiredapraxiaofspeech,verbalapraxia,orchildhoodapraxiaofspeech(CAS)whendiagnosedinchildren—isaspeechsounddisorder.SomeonewithAOShastroublesayingwhatheorshewantstosaycorrectlyandconsistently.AOSisaneurologicaldisorderthataffectsthebrainpathwaysinvolvedinplanningthesequenceofmovementsinvolvedinproducingspeech.Thebrainknowswhatitwantstosay,butcannotproperlyplanandsequencetherequiredspeechsoundmovements.AOSisnotcausedbyweaknessorparalysisofthespeechmuscles(themusclesofthejaw,tongue,orlips).Weaknessorparalysisofthespeechmusclesresultsinaseparatespeechdisorder,knownasdysarthria.SomepeoplehavebothdysarthriaandAOS,whichcanmakediagnosisofthetwoconditionsmoredifficult.TheseverityofAOSvariesfrompersontoperson.Itcanbesomildthatitcausestroublewithonlyafewspeechsoundsorwithpronunciationofwordsthathavemanysyllables.Inthemostseverecases,someonewithAOSmightnotbeabletocommunicateeffectivelybyspeaking,andmayneedthehelpofalternativecommunicationmethods.Whatarethetypesandcausesofapraxiaofspeech?TherearetwomaintypesofAOS:acquiredapraxiaofspeechandchildhoodapraxiaofspeech.AcquiredAOScanaffectsomeoneatanyage,althoughitmosttypicallyoccursinadults.AcquiredAOSiscausedbydamagetothepartsofthebrainthatareinvolvedinspeakingandinvo