apraxia

inability to make purposeful movements

Apraxia is a neurological disorder characterized by loss of the ability to execute or carry out learned (familiar) movements, despite having the desire and the physical ability to perform the movements. There are several types of apraxia including ''limb-kinetic'' (inability to make fine, precise movements with a limb), ''ideomotor'' (inability to carry out a motor command), ''ideational'' (inability to create a plan for or idea of a specific movement), ''buccofacial'' or ''facial-oral'' (inability to carry out facial movements on command, i.e., lick lips, whistle, cough, or wink) - which is perhaps the most common form, ''verbal'' (difficulty coordinating mouth and speech movements), ''constructional'' (inability to draw or construct simple configurations), and ''oculomotor'' (difficulty moving the eyes). Apraxia may be accompanied by a language disorder called aphasia.Generally, treatment for individuals with apraxia includes physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech therapy. If apraxia is a symptom of another disorder, the underlying disorder should be treated. The prognosis for individuals with apraxia varies, With therapy, some patients improve significantly, while others may show very little improvement.The root word of Apraxia is ''praxis'' which is Greek for an act, work, or deed.med-stub !Category:Neurologyde:Apraxiees :Apraxia

Apraxia-Kids
Provides articles by speech-language pathologists, an e-mail discussion list, message board, newsletter, resources, book suggestions, news, and conference information.
http://www.apraxia-kids.org/

CHERAB Foundation, Inc
An international non-profit organization which provides a support group, articles, and links about children who are late talkers or diagnosed with apraxia. Also included: up-to-date information about essential fatty acids research.
http://www.apraxia.cc/

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Information on neurological and nuerodevelopmental disorders from a leading supporter of biomedical research on the brain and nervous system.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
ASHA is the professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 96,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. This site is a resource for ASHA members, persons interested in information about communication disorders, and for those wanting career and membership information.
http://www.asha.org/