Developmental Apraxia of Speech (DAS)

DAS is a speech disorder of the nervous system that interferes with a child’s ability to correctly pronounce and sequence sounds, syllables, and words. This disorder affects more boys than girls and is present from birth. Some symptoms of DAS include:

• Slow, halting, or awkward speech rate
• Limiting vocalization during infancy
• Frequently leaving sounds out of words
• Difficulty in clearly organizing spoken information

A child with DAS will not simply grow out of it. As soon as the disorder is identified, speech therapy should be started. The therapy for DAS is generally intensive and can continue for several years. While there is no quick fix, therapy should assist a child in improving the movements of their speech mechanism required for speech production. Parents are encouraged to be active participants in helping their child learn to talk and play a role in their therapy.

For more information about Developmental Apraxia of Speech, visit www.apraxia-kids.org.