5. Difficulties with Prosody: The Struggle with Rhythm and Melody in Speech
Prosody refers to the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech. It’s what gives speech its melody and expressiveness. For most of us, prosody comes naturally. We instinctively know where to pause, which words to stress, and how to modulate our pitch to convey different meanings and emotions. However, for children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech, managing prosody can be a significant challenge.
Children with CAS often exhibit abnormal prosody in their speech. They may speak in a monotone voice, without the natural rises and falls in pitch that we usually hear in speech. They might also place equal stress on all syllables in a word or a sentence, which can make their speech sound robotic or ‘choppy.’
Imagine, for instance, how we usually say the sentence, “I love ice cream.” The words ‘love’ and ‘cream’ are typically stressed, giving the sentence its rhythm. However, a child with CAS might say this sentence as “I love ice cream,” placing equal stress on all syllables, which makes their speech sound unusual and can potentially impact their speech intelligibility.
This difficulty with prosody often arises from the same motor planning issues that lead to other symptoms of CAS. Coordinating the precise movements required for varying pitch, stress, and rhythm in speech is a complex task that can be overwhelming for these children.
However, with the right support and therapy, children with CAS can make strides in this area as well. Speech-language pathologists can employ specific strategies and exercises to help children with CAS improve their prosody, thereby enhancing their overall speech quality and expressiveness. (5)
