Triangle 3-year-old suffering from speech apraxia

>>> MOST OF US LIKE TO SPEAK

WHAT'S ON OUR MIND.

NOT EVERY CHILD IS BORN WITH

THAT ABILITY.

THERE ARE MANY SPEECH DISORDERS

AND ALL REQUIRE EARLY

DIAGNOSIS, AND INTERVENTION TO

HELP THE CHILD PROGRESS.

AS WRAL'S DR. ALLEN MASK

EXPLAINS, ONE RARE DISORDER

REQUIRES SPECIAL THERAPY EVERY

DAY.

>> Reporter: HEATHER WAKE KNEW

THAT HER DAUGHTER, 3 1/2-YEAR-

OLD REBECCA LYNN HAD SPEECH

DELAYS EARLY ON.

>> I REALIZED THAT SHE WAS A

VERY QUIET CHILD.

SHE NEVER BABBLED.

SHE NEVER COOED.

SHE NEVER MADE NOISE AS A BABY.

>> Reporter: BY AGE 3 SHE WAS

DIAGNOSED WITH APRAXIA.

SPEECH PATHOLOGIST SAYS IT'S A

RARE CONDITION, THE CHILD

RECOGNIZES THE WORDS, KNOWS THE

SOUND BUT HAS PROBLEMS

COORDINATING THE ARTICULATING

OF THE MOUTH.

>> THE LIPS, THE TONGUE, THE

PAL LET, THE JAW.

>> Reporter: PLUS IT SEEMS THE

CHILD'S MIND HAS TROUBLE

REMEMBERING HOW THEY ONCE

SUCCESSFULLY MADE SOUND.

THAT'S WHY THERAPY INVOLVES

INTENSIVE REPETITION.

IT'S NOT AN INTELLIGENCE

PROGRAM.

>> MOST OF MY KIDS WITH APRAXIA

ARE REALLY SMART.

>> SHE'S VERY RECEPTIVE.

SHE CAN HEAR EVERYTHING YOU

SAY.

>> Reporter: EFFORTS TO HELP

HER SPEAK FOR HERSELF CONTINUE

IN A ONE A WEEK THERAPY AND

EVERY POSSIBLE LEARNING

OPPORTUNITY AT HOME.

THERE ARE MANY LEARNING TOOLS

LIKE THIS FREE COMPUTER APP.

>> WHAT IT DOES, IT REACTS TO

VOICES.

>> Reporter: HER GOAL IS TO PUT

ALL THE SOUNDS TOGETHER TO FORM

WORDS AND THE WORDS INTO

SENTENCES.

>> SHE CAN PROBABLY SAY BETWEEN

6 TO 10 WORDS.

THE PROGRESS THAT SHE HAS MADE

SINCE BEING HERE HAS JUST BEEN

AMAZING.

>> Reporter: SHE HAS A LOT OF

WORK AHEAD.

DR. ALLEN MASK, WRAL HEALTH

TEAM.

>> WORKING HARD.

>> WELL, INSURANCE DOESN'T

TYPICAL COVER COSTS OF SPEECH

THERAPY FOR CHILDREN WITH THIS

DISORDER, SO PARENTS HAVE TO

PAY OUT OF POCKET.

TOMORROW MORNING IN APEX ON THE

AMERICAN TOBACCO TRAIL, THERE

IS A WALK FOR CHILDREN WITH

APRAXIA.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, LOOK FOR

THE STORY ON WRAL.COM.