Prelinguistic communication development in children with childhood apraxia of speech: A retrospective analysis

Abstract

In a retrospective study of prelinguistic communication development, clinically referred preschool children (n = 9) aged 3–4 years, who as infants had failed a community-based screening program, were evaluated for features of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Four children showed no features and either delayed or normal language, five had from three-to-seven CAS features and all exhibited delayed language. These children were matched by age with 21 children with typically-developing (TD) speech and language skills. Case-control comparisons of retrospective data from 9 months of age for two participants with more severe features of CAS at preschool age showed a dissociated pattern with low expressive quotients on the Receptive-Expressive Emergent Language Assessment-Second Edition (REEL–2) and records of infrequent babbling, but normal receptive quotients. However, other profiles were observed. Two children with milder CAS features showed poor receptive and expressive development similar to other clinically referred children with no CAS features, and one child with severe CAS features showed poor receptive but normal expressive developmental milestones at 9 months and records of frequent babbling. Results suggest some but not all children with features of suspected CAS have a selective deficit originating within speech motor development.

Keywords::

• Speech development
• speech motor disorders
• verbal dyspraxia
• speech acquisition
• speech sound disorder.

Acknowledgements

We thank the many speech-language pathologists who assisted in recruitment of the clinical participants and the early childhood teachers and principals for helping in recruitment of the typically developing children. We are grateful for the assistance from the Child and Adolescent Health Branch of the Department of Health Western Australia for access to and assistance with the retrospective data.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.