What defines developmental apraxia of speech How and why does it Essay - 1

What defines developmental apraxia of speech How and why does it differ from acquired apraxia of speech - Essay Example Given the nature of this disorder, it is difficult to define it. Guyette and Diedrich doubt it is possible to define DAS in the normal sense as â€Å"there is little reported agreement on which symptoms the behaviors are important in the diagnosis of this disorder. Second, there is paucity of data to support claims even when agreement is found† (as cited in Bishop & Rosenbloom, 1987, p. 30). This view notwithstanding, various definitions have been propounded for DAS. Hegde (2001) states that it is a â€Å"disorder in children characterized by sensorimotor problems in positioning and sequentially moving muscles for the volitional production of speech, associated with prosodic problems† (p. 184). Caruso and Strand (1999), state that most definitions of developmental apraxia of speech â€Å"focus on the inability or difficulty with the ability to perform purposeful voluntary movements for speech, in the absence of paralysis or weakness of the speech musculature† (p. 14). Despite lack of evidence and consensus regarding the symptoms and characteristic features of DAS, certain diagnostic symptoms have generally been agreed upon. â€Å"These comprise a high number of consonant errors, especially substitution in place of articulation, inconsistency in repeated productions, difficulty in sequencing phonemes, especially in diadochokinetic tasks (/pataka/), groping, and resistance to therapy† (Nijland & Maassen, 2005, p. 138). Other diagnostic criteria include errors in articulation, use of vowels, lack of comprehensive skills, faulty sequencing and rhythm of speech. However it cannot be said with any degree of certainty that these symptoms are exclusive to DAS. Shriberg, Aram and Kwiatkowski (1997b) attempted to find one diagnostic marker that was exclusive to DAS and that served to differentiate it from children with delayed speech and found â€Å"inappropriate stress the only characteristic significantly differentiating the two