For Client/Family:
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/ApraxiaAdults/
- This website from ASHA provides a lot of general information about apraxia of speech. It outlines what it is, what symptoms often occur with it and how it is assessed and treated. This would be a great resource for a person who has recently been diagnosed with apraxia of speech and/or their family members and caregivers.
- This webpage is a great resource for someone who is living with chronic dysarthria. It provides tips for communication to compensate or go around deficits associated with dysarthria. All of these tips could be applied to all communication interactions but they would be beneficial for those who have dysarthria. Environmental, speaker and listener variables are considered in the suggestions.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dysarthria/basics/causes/con-20035008
- This webpage from the Mayo Clinic provides a comprehensive list of the causes of dysarthria, which can range from a traumatic brain injury to a degenerative disease like ALS. This may help clients to understand why they are having neuromuscular weakness, as it may be caused by a variety of things. It would be beneficial if this list was discussed with an SLP or doctor to help the client understand their specific diagnosis.
For SLP:
Haynes, W.O. & Pindzola, R.H. (2012). Motor Speech Disorders, Dysphagia, and the Oral Exam. In Haynes, W.O. & Pindzola, R.H. (8th Ed.), Diagnosis and evaluation in speech pathology. (pp. 239-266). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.
- Table 9.4 in this chapter outlines the differences between dysarthria and apraxia, clearly distinguishing that one is a neuromuscular weakness while the other is a motor planning issue. This would be a beneficial diagnostic tool for an SLP to use when evaluating a patient with potential motor speech problems. It would help to tease apart the motor speech issues that the patient may present with in combination with the language issues that often arise as well.
- Pages 251 and 252 also provide thorough descriptions of the different types of dysarthria. As the different types present with a number of different symptoms, it is important that the SLP understand which type of dysarthria they are presenting with so that treatment can be more effective for their specific needs.
http://ajslp.pubs.asha.org/article.aspx?articleid=1782728&resultClick=3
- This research article centered around the treatment of acquired apraxia of speech. It suggests that the frequency and intensity of treatment of apraxia of speech does not affect the outcomes of speech therapy; however, avoiding blocks of treatment time or inconsistent therapy will assist the client in maintaining skills learned in therapy and generalizing those skills to conversational speech. This is important for speech pathologists to know, as recommendations for amount of therapy are crucial decisions to make when assessing a new patient.
http://www.asha.org/uploadedFiles/slp/healthcare/AATMotorSpeech.pdf#search=%22motor%22
- This motor speech disorder assessment template form will be beneficial for speech-language pathologists who need a resource when informally assessing patients for potential speech and intelligibility problems. It gives a comprehensive guide for assessing oral mechanisms and structures and oral motor movements. It also assesses respiration, phonation, diadochokinetic rates, and impairment rating scales. At the end of the form, a prognosis checklist, family care plan and treatment plan are provided.
SLP Diagnostics 