“I Know What I Want to Say!” Understanding Childhood Apraxia of Speech

If your child has difficulty being understood, uses fewer words than expected, or struggles to produce certain sounds, you may have heard of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS).

CAS is a speech motor-planning disorder. Children with CAS often know what they want to say but have difficulty planning and coordinating the precise movements of their lips, tongue, and jaw needed to produce speech.

What Can CAS Look Like?

CAS can look different for every child, but common signs may include:

Inconsistent speech errors:

• A child may say the same word differently each time.

• Difficulty with longer words: Longer or more complex words may be especially

  challenging.

• Difficulty sequencing sounds: Sounds or syllables may be difficult to put together

  smoothly.

• Groping: You may notice trial-and-error movements of the mouth when attempting a

  word.

• Unusual rhythm or stress: Speech may sound choppy or have unusual emphasis.

Not every child with speech sound difficulties has CAS. Similar characteristics can occur with other speech disorders, so an evaluation by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) is important.

How Is CAS Treated?

Speech therapy for CAS focuses on developing accurate and consistent speech movement patterns. Therapy may involve repeated practice of specific sounds, syllables, words, and phrases. SLPs may also use visual, verbal, and tactile cues to help children learn and coordinate speech movements. Children with significant difficulty communicating may also benefit from AAC (augmentative and alternative communication), such as gestures, signs, pictures, or speech-generating devices. AAC provides children with a way to communicate while their spoken language skills continue to develop.

How Can Parents Help?

Parents can support their child by:

● Practicing short, meaningful activities rather than long sessions

● Choosing words that are useful in everyday life

● Modeling words without constantly asking for repetition

● Celebrating all communication attempts, including speech, gestures, signs, and AAC

● Following the SLP’s recommendations for home practice

Most importantly, keep communication positive and low-pressure. Your child has something to say—the goal is to help them find a way to communicate it.

When Should You Seek an Evaluation?

Consider talking with an SLP if your child:

● Is difficult to understand

● Uses very limited speech

● Says the same word differently across attempts

● Has significant difficulty with longer words

● Appears to know what they want to say but struggles to produce it

An SLP can help determine what may be contributing to your child’s speech difficulties and recommend appropriate support.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

The Mouth Rehab is here to help. Schedule a comprehensive evaluation so we can identify what’s going on and create an individualized plan for your child.

✨ Ready to book an evaluation? Click here! ✨

Written by Samantha Yi, M.S., CCC-SLP | Clinician at The Mouth Reab

 Edited by Vanshi Topiwala | The Mouth Rehab Intern