True or False: Strength deficits are a hallmark of AOS.

• A. False
• B. True
• C. Not enough information
• D. Sometimes

Answer: (A)

AOS is a motor planning and programming issue, not a problem with the muscles themselves. The defining difficulty in apraxia of speech is how the brain plans and sequences the movements needed for speech, leading to errors that are often inconsistent, distorted, and slow to initiate, especially on longer or more complex sequences. The actual strength of the articulators (lips, tongue, jaw) is typically preserved, so you don’t see a primary or reliable deficit in muscle strength.

Because the challenge is planning and sequencing rather than weakness, strength deficits are not considered a hallmark of AOS. You might see coexisting dysarthria if there is another underlying motor impairment that affects strength, but that would reflect another disorder present alongside AOS rather than a defining feature of AOS itself.