12 Nov Long-term Outcomes for Individuals with Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Summary by Barbara Lewis, PhD
There is a critical need for information about the long-term speech, language and literacy out-comes for adolescents and young adults with a history of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Longitudinal studies for children with CAS are essential for formulating prognoses, educational planning, determining therapy goals, and mitigating psychosocial difficulties. The current study describes the speech outcomes for 32 adolescents and young adults (ages 12;6 through 25 years) with a history of CAS, and the association of persistent speech sound errors with measures of decoding, phonological processing, motor speech production, and parent report of early motor difficulty.
After classifying participants as having persistent or nonpersistent speech errors, the two groups were compared in the aforementioned areas. Over half of the participants (59%) evidenced speech errors beyond 12;6 years, demonstrating that children with CAS are at risk for persistent speech sound errors into adulthood. Speech sound errors were primarily on later developing sounds (i.e., /r/, /l/, /ð/, /θ/, /ʃ/, /ʧ/, and vocalic /r/).
For older school-age children with CAS showing limited progress with more traditional speech therapy, alternative interventions should be explored earlier (e.g., treatment with a visual component, such as ultrasound biofeedback). Additionally, while speech sound production may normalize for some children with CAS, evidence from the current study suggests that literacy skills may remain impaired. For a child with a diagnosis of CAS, if there is evidence of a potential reading issue, preliteracy instruction should begin in preschool, and literacy instruction by kindergarten. Finally, SLPs should consider the effects of persistent speech errors on the social and emotional well-being of the individual. Intervention to improve socialization may be a valuable complement to speech therapy.
Lewis, B.A., Miller, G. J., Iyengar, S.K., Stein, C.M., and Benchek, P. (2024). Long-term outcomes for Individuals with childhood apraxia of speech. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research 67 (9S). 3463-3479. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_JSLHR-22-00647
Summary by Barbara Lewis, PhD
There is a critical need for information about the long-term speech, language and literacy out-comes for adolescents and young adults with a history of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Longitudinal studies for children with CAS are essential for formulating prognoses, educational planning, determining therapy goals, and mitigating psychosocial difficulties. The current study describes the speech outcomes for 32 adolescents and young adults (ages 12;6 through 25 years) with a history of CAS, and the association of persistent speech sound errors with measures of decoding, phonological processing, motor speech production, and parent report of early motor difficulty.
After classifying participants as having persistent or nonpersistent speech errors, the two groups were compared in the aforementioned areas. Over half of the participants (59%) evidenced speech errors beyond 12;6 years, demonstrating that children with CAS are at risk for persistent speech sound errors into adulthood. Speech sound errors were primarily on later developing sounds (i.e., /r/, /l/, /ð/, /θ/, /ʃ/, /ʧ/, and vocalic /r/).
For older school-age children with CAS showing limited progress with more traditional speech therapy, alternative interventions should be explored earlier (e.g., treatment with a visual component, such as ultrasound biofeedback). Additionally, while speech sound production may normalize for some children with CAS, evidence from the current study suggests that literacy skills may remain impaired. For a child with a diagnosis of CAS, if there is evidence of a potential reading issue, preliteracy instruction should begin in preschool, and literacy instruction by kindergarten. Finally, SLPs should consider the effects of persistent speech errors on the social and emotional well-being of the individual. Intervention to improve socialization may be a valuable complement to speech therapy.
Lewis, B.A., Miller, G. J., Iyengar, S.K., Stein, C.M., and Benchek, P. (2024). Long-term outcomes for Individuals with childhood apraxia of speech. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research 67 (9S). 3463-3479. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_JSLHR-22-00647
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