DAS

Running Head: DEVELOPMENTAL APRAXIA OF SPEECH   =*Developmental Apraxia of Speech (DAS)* =

= Lindsay Notter & Anna Kelly = = Liberty University =

=Abstract =  "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ~Eleanor Roosevelt This quote is very true for all children with learning disabilities. It is especially applicable for children who suffer from the speech disorder of Developmental Apraxia of Speech. It is important for any child who has DAS to understand that they are not unable to learn. Children with DAS need to realize their full potential in and out of the classroom and always remember Eleanor Roosevelt's wise words. The purpose of this article is to provide potential teachers with the knowledge and understanding of Developmental Apraxia of Speech that will enable them to effectively educate children with this disorder.

**So what is DAS? ** Developmental Apraxia of Speech is a neurological speech impairment that makes it difficult for children to verbally communicate the structure of words. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, DAS is "a disruption in retrieving the 'motor plan' for saying a word automatically." Therefore, DAS is not caused from muscle damage or malfunction to the face, tongue, or lips. DAS is also present from birth, more common in boys than girls, and is able to be treated. (NIDCD, 2002)

Jewel - Verbal Apraxia (February 2009) media type="youtube" key="tYmm23EPXjU" height="385" width="480"

=Signs and Symptoms: According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association =


 * The child is able to comprehend every day language, but he/she has a hard time communicating their own thoughts or ideas.


 * It is easier for the child to imitate a word that someone else has said than for the child to come up with a word on their own.


 * The child is extremely hard to understand when he/she trying to say longer words that stress certain syllables or sounds.


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-weight: normal;">When the child is anxious, he/she has more difficulty communicating effectively.



<span style="background-color: #e9b4e9; color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">How does DAS affect a child's learning ability?
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">**<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-weight: normal;">A child with apraxia has a hard time learning how to read and spell. This is due to the fact that the chid lacks the "phonological awareness skills" which are necessary to form logical sentences. The child may also demonstrate issues with motor skills, like writing, coloring, and cutting. (Apraxia-KIDS, 2005)

** <span style="background-color: #e9b4e9; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;">**<span style="background-color: #e9b4e9; color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">How to improve a child's speech: According to the Hearing, Speech, and Deafness Center **
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-weight: normal;">Speech therapy can be helpful but will not provide a "quick fix", and even after many years of therapy, the child may still have problems communicating efficiently.
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">It is important to always be **patient** with the child because the more frustrated you get the more frustrated the child will become. This frustration can make the child give up more easily. A child who was a positive self-image will be more willing to correct their disorder.
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">It is also necessary to make goals for children with DAS, but it is essential to divide these goals into more smaller, more attainable goals so progress can be seen.

<span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> Update on Jewel (March 2010) <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> media type="youtube" key="svhOF4UYDmo" height="385" width="480"

<span style="background-color: #e9b4e9; color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Teaching a Student with DAS

 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Being aware that your student has DAS is the first step. Teaching a student with DAS means that you, as the teacher, will have to adapt your classroom to that of a differentiated learning environment. A student with DAS is going to require extensive teaching in certain subject areas; especially reading, spelling, and writing.
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Since it is difficult for a child with DAS to imitate the structure of a word (s), it will also be difficult for them to read and spell words out as quickly as students without DAS might be able to. One technique, according to Apraxia-KIDS, is to integrate visual techniques in your classroom, such as color-coded systems as reminders of structure and flash cards which contain pictures to resemble a sound.
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The most important thing to remember when teaching a student who has apraxia is to help them maintain a positive self-image at all times, no matter how bad there speech may be. If an apraxic child is able to learn only one thing in your classroom, it should be self-confidence and motivation. (Apraxia-KIDS, 2005)



<span style="color: #de78de; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Final Exam Questions****:** A. True B. False
 * 1. Developmental Apraxia of Speech is a disorder in which a part of the brain causes muscle weakness of the face and does not relay information to the lips.

2. Which are three main subject areas that are affected when a child has DAS?

3. What is one sign that a child may have speech apraxia? A. The child does not have any friends and will not interact with his/her peers B. The child will not eat fruit or vegetables C. The child becomes anxious and hard to understand when trying to communicate longer words with stressed syllables D. The child throws a fit when he/she has to go to bed

4. The most important thing to remember when teaching a child who has DAS is to __.__**

A. True B. False**
 * 5. It is better to make long term goals for children with DAS so that they will have something to work towards.

<span style="color: #5f0080; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> Presentation Handout: <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> __DAS Defined__ <span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> What it **<span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">IS **<span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">: a speech disorder which prevents a child from correctly pronouncing sounds and syllables What it is **<span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">NOT **<span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">: a weakness or impairment of facial muscles

<span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Is DAS treatable?..... // YES //<span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">!
 * <span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Speech therapy is used to help the child with their communication skills
 * <span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">DAS children will never simply "grow out of it"
 * **<span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Patience **<span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> is key when treating or dealing with an apraxic child
 * <span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">It is essential that children with apraxia maintain a healthy outlook and positive self-image about themselves and learning, even if their speech never improves

<span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> A child diagnosed with speech apraxia IS able to be taught, but usually at a slower pace!
 * <span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Children with DAS lack the necessary "phonological awareness skills"
 * <span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Therefore, children with this disorder often need extra guidance in the areas of spelling, writing, and reading
 * <span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Short term goals are most attainable for children with DAS

<span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Here are a few activities and tools for Differentiated Instruction:
 * 1) <span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Use flash cards that represent sounds with pictures
 * 2) <span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thoroughly explain assignments in their problem areas
 * 3) <span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Give a student the extra time if needed...they must constantly be reminded that their teacher cares about their learning difficulties
 * 4) <span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Use color coded systems as reminders of word structure
 * 5) <span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Always be willing to integrate new and different learning styles into your classroom

<span style="color: #a100ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> (Apraxia-KIDS, 2005)

<span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> REFERENCES
<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace;">(2002, November). Apraxia of Speech. Retrieved March 23, 2010, from National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: [] (2009). Developmental Apraxia of Speech (DAS). Retrieved March 23, 2010, from Hearing, Speech, And Deafness Center: []n(2009). Childhood Apraxia of Speech. Retrieved March 23, 2010, from American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: [] n(n.d.). Childhood Apraxia of Speech - General Information for Parents. Retrieved March 23, 2010, from University of Massachusetts - Shelley L. Vellman: [] Gretz, S. (2005, February 24). Literacy and Children with Apraxia of Speech. Retrieved March 23, 2010, from Apraxia-KIDS (division of CASANA): []