Apraxia of speech is difficulty with planning, organising and sequencing speech movements. It is when you can’t move the muscles in your face, mouth and throats in the right order to produce speech, but might be able to move the muscles in insolation. This may make it difficult for you to speak and for others to understand you.

Symptom checklist

Do you find your loved one not being able to say words clearly, especially when you ask them to?

Do they often have difficulty with imitating speech sounds?

Do you see them groping for correct mouth shapes when trying to produce sounds, trying to correct themselves, because they know things sound wrong?

Does your family member or friend hesitate between words and need several attempts before they can get the right mouth shape to say a word?

Does their speech seem difficult to start off and is it effortful for them?

Do you find that their speech changes and words sound different every time they say them?

Are they are able to say things clearly when they recite them in a list (like days of the week or numbers), or can produce automatic speech like greetings ‘Hello’ ‘How are you?’, but not when they are put on the spot and asked to say them on their
own?

Do they feel that longer words are usually more difficult?

Do they find their speech rate slower?

Do they find that at times they are not able to speak at all?