There are many different types of apraxia. A patient may experience just one type of apraxia or more than one type at the same time. In addition, the type and severity of dysfunction associated with these types can vary from person to person.

Types of apraxia include:

• Ideomotor apraxia. Inability to mimic or perform a task or movement (e.g. hammer a nail, brush hair, blow out a match, cough) upon verbal command. Patients may be able to perform an activity when it occurs spontaneously, but not when suggested by others. For example, a patient may be able to scratch his or her head spontaneously, but be unable to do so when asked. Ideomotor apraxia is the most common type of apraxia seen in clinical settings.
  
  
• Ideational apraxia (also known as conceptional apraxia). Inability to perform tasks that require a specific series of events to occur, or a loss of knowledge of how tools or certain objects are to be used. For example, the various steps involved with using a pen and writing (e.g., picking up pen, removing cap, placing cap on other end, placing pen tip on paper) may be confused. A patient with ideational apraxia may attempt to write with the pen cap on, or with the wrong end of the pen. Patients may have no trouble performing the individual steps, but are not able to put the steps together appropriately (e.g., putting on socks before shoes). Additional types of tasks that may be difficult for patients with ideational apraxia include bathing, eating and brushing teeth.
  
  
• Verbal apraxia. Inability to coordinate lip, mouth and tongue movements in order to speak. Contrary to how it may appear, people with verbal apraxia do not have any muscular deficiencies in their face. People with verbal apraxia may be unable to say a word correctly or they may be able to say a word correctly one day but not the next. Often, patients cannot put sounds and syllables in correct order to form words. Long, complex words may be more difficult than short, simple words. Patients with verbal apraxia may appear to be fumbling for the correct word or sound while speaking. They may also be unable to add the correct emphasis of certain sounds or words to convey meaning while speaking.
  
  Vocal dysfunction experienced can range from mild (e.g., a few, occasional speech problems) to severe (e.g., unable to produce any intelligible sounds). Verbal apraxia may be one of the most common types of apraxia, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders. Verbal apraxia can be acquired as a result of injury or disease, or it may be a developmental disability (e.g., a birth defect). Acquired verbal apraxia is more common in adults.
  
  
• Buccofacial apraxia (also known as orofacial apraxia) involves difficulty with movements of the face and mouth but does not typically affect a patient’s ability to speak. Verbal apraxia is sometimes considered a more severe form of buccofacial apraxia. This type of apraxia involves the inability to perform facial movements upon verbal command, such as whistling, coughing, winking, blowing or licking the lips. This is a very common type of apraxia, according to National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Some additional types of apraxia are not considered true forms of apraxia by some experts. This is because actions may be performed, albeit not perfectly. These include the following:

• Constructional apraxia. Inability to draw, copy or construct simple figures. People with constructional apraxia may have difficulty imagining the spatial relationship between objects. For example, a patient with constructional apraxia may draw several unconnected straight lines when instructed to draw a “cube.” In addition, patients with this type of apraxia may have difficulty following a map.
  
  
• Limb-kinetic apraxia. Inability to make precise and exact movements with fingers, hands, arms and legs. Patients with this type of apraxia typically appear to operate slowly or clumsily with tools and objects. They may not be able to move their fingers quickly (e.g., tapping fingers) or to grasp objects with their fingers.
  
  
• Oculomotor apraxia. Difficulty in moving the eyes (e.g., lifting the eyelids) upon verbal command.