verbal apraxia

  My 2 yr old grandson has been diagnosed with verbal apraxia.  Where can I get the most recent info on this problem and where are the best places for treatment. Thanks

[HFHS.RN-AM]

Dear Meg,
Verbal Apraxia is a very rare motor planning deficit, where the child has the concept of the word, but it doesn't translate from the planning area of the brain to actual words or speech.    There is a very distinctive characteristic to their speech because the errors are inconsistant, that is , they are different every time. People with this type of disorder have a difficult time imitating even simple words.
Because they understand what they are trying to say, these people often use gestures very well.
Verbal Apraxia is often overdiagnosed, especially in the Midwest United States. If your child has lots of variety in his babble and uses hard sounds, like DA, GA, BA instead of soft vowel sounds (AH, OH), you may want a second opinion.
You should be able to get information from the speech pathologist who evaluated your child, or try the internet. In Michigan, the Kaufman Center in West Bloomfield has done extensive work in this area and developed an apraxia battery. They may have a web site. Also, William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak , Michigan has a program especially for this problem.
HFHS.RN-AM
*KEYWORD:   Speech Pathology, Verbal Apraxia, Speech Disorders,