APRAXIA
WHOLE BODY APRAXIA
Many nonspeaking or minimally speaking individuals experience something called a brain–body disconnect, also known as APRAXIA. This means the person’s brain knows what it wants to do, but the body does not consistently follow those intentions. The challenge is not a lack of understanding or intelligence—it is the difficulty of getting the body to carry out purposeful, controlled movements.
Why This Matters for Communication...
Speech is a fine-motor skill that requires precise coordination of dozens of muscles. When whole-body apraxia is present, producing reliable speech can be extremely difficult—even when a person knows exactly what they want to say. This is why many nonspeakers benefit from motor-based communication methods like S2C.
S2C teaches purposeful movement using letterboards so the child can show what they know, even if their body struggles to cooperate at first.
A child with whole-body apraxia may
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Appear “stuck” or unable to start a movement
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Move impulsively or “on autopilot”
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Show behaviors that look oppositional but are really motor overflow
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Struggle to coordinate their eyes, hands, and body
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Have trouble speaking even though they understand language fully