What is Apraxia?

Apraxia is a rare congenital or acquired neurological movement disorder in which people cannot perform already learned movements. With Apraxia, the ability to plan a movement and the capacity to perform it are present; however, the movement still can't be executed. 

As you can imagine, if you cannot undertake specific movements, Apraxia can impact every aspect of daily life, from tying shoelaces and buttoning shirts to using cutlery and brushing hair. Depending on the level and type of Apraxia, it can be difficult for someone to live independently, especially when it comes to activities of daily living (ADLs). 

Common forms of Apraxia

There are many forms of Apraxia. However, these are the four most common:

• Ideomotor Apraxia
• Ideational Apraxia
• Speech apraxia 
• Oculomotor apraxia 

Ideomotor Apraxia

Ideomotor Apraxia is when someone cannot carry out a command from the brain to copy movements performed or suggested by others. In other words, the person knows what they want to do, but they do not know how to do it, which can impact:

• Picking up a phone and moving it to the ear.
• Imitating facial expressions.
• Midline crossing movements, like hair brushing.
• Hand movement, with stiff and inflexible hand posture, including simple tasks such as taking money out of a hand.
• Poor gesture production.
• Monotone and automatic movements, like cutting with scissors.

Ideational Apraxia

A common form of the condition is that people living with ideational Apraxia lose their ability to plan and perform motor actions with objects. Ideational Apraxia is the inability to create a plan for a specific movement, which could result in:

• Focusing on a specific part of an action, again and again, for example, while writing and sending a letter, they fold the letter again and again but need to remember to place it in the envelope.
• Lack of knowledge of how to use familiar objects. For example, they might put a bottle on their head or use a smartphone as a brush.
• Performing actions in the incorrect order, for example, trying to open a door without pushing or pulling first.

Speech Apraxia

People living with speech apraxia have problems with the planning of speech movements, which can affect articulation, speech melody, rhythm, or speech behavior, resulting in:

• Incomprehensible pronunciation.
• Substitutions or exchanges of sounds.
• Reduced speech tempo.
• Mistakes in word stress and some more.

Oculomotor Apraxia 

People living with oculomotor Apraxia struggle with their horizontal eye movements and find it difficult to move their eye on command when directed, leading to:

• Jerky spinning movements of the head toward the direction they want to look at.
• Inability to follow rapid movements with the eyes.
• Rigid gaze (especially in young children). 

Like any condition, Apraxia varies in each person, and a diagnosis of Apraxia doesn't mean that all actions or activities of daily living are impossible. It always depends on each person's Apraxia and their level of severity. 

Causes of Apraxia 

The cause of Apraxia can be challenging to diagnose, but it is believed to be caused by a lesion in the brain's neural pathways that contain the learned patterns of movement. It's often a symptom of neurological, metabolic, or other disorders involving the brain, with Apraxia occurring more often in later life for a variety of reasons, including brain tumors, dementia, stroke, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, or traumatic brain injury. 

Children can also be born with Apraxia or develop the condition in childhood due to a neurological disorder or following an accident. The most frequent form of Apraxia in children is speech apraxia, which often occurs with aphasia, which is the inability to comprehend or use words.

How to Support Someone With Apraxia

There's no single therapy or approach for Apraxia, as each person's experience varies. Since everyone responds to treatment differently, some people will significantly improve, while others may progress less. Often, one-on-one sessions work the best, especially with the support of family and friends. 

Here are ways to support someone with Apraxia.

Speak to a specialist doctor. Specialists are available to provide information, support, and guidance on the best way to manage the impact of Apraxia on everyday life.

Learn about Apraxia. The more you understand the condition, the more support you can provide to loved ones living with Apraxia. Take the time to educate yourself.

Engage therapists. Occupational, physical, and speech therapists can help identify the right coping strategies to make daily life easier and assist with activities of daily living. 

Seek developmental guidance. Specialist speech therapy and targeted education options may help support children with developmental Apraxia of speech.

Research new studies. Be on the lookout for new studies to identify potential treatment options. Also, research what other countries are doing to identify new methods and approaches. 

Try calming clothing. CalmCare clothing can help people with Apraxia by improving their body awareness and positively affecting posture and perception. Sensory clothing can also calm your body, reduce stress, and increase overall well-being. 

Don't forget to it is essential to look after your own needs as a carer. 

The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice or treatment. We endeavor to present accurate details and share helpful insights for the benefit of our community. However, we strongly encourage you to seek advice from a doctor, psychologist, or other qualified medical professionals for any medical issues or concerns.