In AOS evaluation, which statement best describes the diagnostic implication of highly consistent errors across tasks?

• A. Inconsistency across tasks supports AOS.
• B. Highly consistent errors across tasks suggest dysarthria or apraxia of limb rather than speech motor planning.
• C. Errors indicate pure non-speech motor impairment.
• D. Speech motor planning is unaffected.

Answer: (B)

Consistency of error patterns across different tasks points away from speech motor planning and toward a non-speech motor impairment. In apraxia of speech, errors tend to be variable from task to task and even from attempt to attempt, reflecting fluctuating planning difficulties. When errors stay highly consistent across tasks, this pattern suggests the problem lies more with the motor execution system or other non-speech motor processes—such as dysarthria or limb apraxia—rather than with planning for speech movements. So the diagnostic implication is that the underlying issue is not speech motor planning, but a non-speech motor impairment affecting motor execution.