There are many things that you can do to optimize your child’s chances of improving. After more than a decade of treating clients with apraxia and dyspraxia, I have noticed that some types of parents have children who improve quickly, even if the delay is quite severe. If possible, do the following:

• Notice the apraxia early and get it treated early (preferably by three years of age) by a qualified Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP).

• Get involved in your child’s therapy program. Ask your SLP if you can sit at the table with your child and try to play the games the way the SLP does. Ask for home programs and practice worksheets.

• Invest in some games that your child loves (like Pop Up Pirate). Put the game in the cupboard and only pull it out for speech practice.

• Read to your child and foster a love of reading. Let him sign out books from the library on topics that he is interested in.

In addition, I noticed that there are certain children with apraxia who improve more quickly than others. The characteristics of a child whose speech improves quickly include:

• An outgoing child with good self esteem, who is willing to try and make mistakes and try again. Make sure to find some interests and activities that your child can succeed at. Praise him for attempts, not just perfection.

• A child with good receptive language (understanding) has better outcomes for articulation as well. If your child has low receptive language scores, ask your Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) how you can support his receptive language improvement as well.

• A healthy child. Of course, you can’t always control the child’s health. But you can provide good nutrition, rest and medical care.

• Typical attention span. If this is a concern, ask your SLP or Occupational therapist (OT) for ideas to improve attention span.

• Imitation skills. Even if your child cannot yet copy sounds or words, you can improve imitation skills by working on actions, signs, gestures and fun noises like animal sounds or vehicle sounds.

  Related Reading about Apraxia:

  • Can You Cure My Child’s Apraxia of Speech?
  • My Child Has Been Diagnosed With Apraxia. How Can I Improve My Child’s Success? I Want Him To Learn To Speak Clearly.
  • I Want To Find a Cure For My Child’s Apraxia Of Speech. What Programs Do You Recommend?