Apraxia Health Article

KEY TERMS

Aphasia—Impairment of spoken language understanding and expression associated with damage affecting the left hemisphere of the brain.

Apraxia of speech—Difficulty selecting and sequencing movements to pronounce speech sounds in the absence of weakness or incoordination.

Apraxic agraphia—Difficulty selecting and sequencing movements necessary for legible writing.

Buccofacial apraxia—Impaired ability to perform learned, skilled facial (nonspeech) movements.

Dysarthria—Speech impairment due to impaired motor (e.g., weakness, incoordination) or sensory function.

Dysgraphia—Impaired writing and spelling abilities.

Dyslexia—Impaired reading abilities.

Limb apraxia—Impaired ability to perform learned, skilled limb movements.

BOOKS

Chapey, R. Language Intervention Strategies in Aphasia and Related Neurogenic Communication Disorders. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins, 2001.

Loring, D.W. INS Dictionary of Neuropsychology. Oxford University Press, 1999.

Rothi, L.J.G., and K.M. Heilman. Apraxia: The Neuropsychology of Action. Psychology Press, 1997.

ORGANIZATIONS

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 10801 Rockville Pk., Rockville, MD 20852. (800) 638-8255. <http://www.asha.org>.

Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association. 123 Eisele Rd., Cheswick, PA, 15024. <http://apraxia-kids.org>.

National Aphasia Association. 156 Fifth Ave., Ste. 707, New York, NY, 10010. <http://www.aphasia.org>.

Anastasia Marie Raymer, Ph.D.