Understanding Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Expert Advice from Speech-Language Pathologists
May 14th is Apraxia Awareness Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). CAS is a motor speech disorder that affects how the brain plans and coordinates the movements needed for speech—not a child’s effort, intelligence, or desire to communicate.
Children with CAS have thoughts, ideas, and stories they want to share. They simply need the right support to help their words come out more clearly and consistently. With early understanding and intervention, children can make meaningful progress in both communication and confidence.
In honor of Apraxia Awareness Day, this post will explain what CAS is, common signs, myths to watch for, how it is diagnosed, and how speech therapy supports children and families.
Common Myths About Childhood Apraxia of Speech
When families first hear about CAS, they often come across confusing or outdated information. CAS is not:
A sign of low intelligence
Caused by laziness or lack of effort
Something a child will simply “grow out of” without support or targeted speech therapy
The result of weak speech muscles
A behavior problem or a result of “not trying hard enough”
We highly recommend checking out Apraxia Kids , a free resource that provides helpful education, support, and a strong community for families learning about Childhood Apraxia of Speech.
Signs of CAS
Every child is unique, but some common signs of CAS may include:
Limited babbling as a baby
Difficulty putting sounds and syllables together
Speech that sounds different each time a word is said
Trouble imitating sounds or words
Visible effort or “searching” for speech movements
Speech that may sound uneven in rhythm, stress, or intonation
Because speech and language development are closely connected to reading and spelling, some children with ongoing speech difficulties like CAS may also need extra support with early literacy skills, especially learning to hear and work with the sounds in words.
How CAS Is Diagnosed
CAS is diagnosed by a speech-language pathologist through a careful, play-based evaluation of a child’s speech and language skills.
During the evaluation, the SLP takes time to get to know how your child communicates in a relaxed, child-friendly way. They may observe how your child produces speech sounds and gently look at how the lips, tongue, and jaw move during speech.
Your child may be asked to say sounds, words, or short phrases several times. This is a way to see how speech changes with repetition and increasing difficulty and helps the SLP understand how your child is planning and producing speech.
The SLP will also look at how well your child is understood in everyday communication, along with overall language skills such as understanding and using words. Communication is more than speech, so they will also observe gestures, pointing, and how your child interacts with others.
Sometimes, the SLP will try small supports during the session to better understand what helps your child be most successful. All of this information comes together to create a clear picture of your child’s communication profile and guide the best next steps for support.
Speech Therapy for CAS
Speech therapy for CAS often looks different from other types of speech therapy. It is highly hands-on and focuses on helping the brain learn how to plan and coordinate speech movements.
Therapy usually includes:
Lots of repetition and practice with sounds, words, and short phrases
Visual, sound, and touch cues to support learning
Choosing meaningful, functional words children can use in everyday life
Careful feedback from the SLP to guide and shape speech attempts
Shorter, more frequent sessions to build consistency and progress
Because CAS therapy is based on repetition and motor learning, the most meaningful progress happens when families feel supported and confident carrying practice into everyday routines, not just in the therapy room.
For some children, especially when speech is very hard to understand in the early stages, having another way to communicate alongside speech can also be helpful. This might include gestures or Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). These supports don’t replace speech therapy, they simply give children another way to express themselves while their speech skills are developing.
Supporting the Whole Child
Supporting a child with CAS means focusing on the whole child, not just their speech skills. It’s about helping your child feel safe and confident trying to communicate, even when speech is hard. It also means reducing frustration in everyday moments and creating opportunities where communication feels successful, not stressful.
Just as importantly, it’s about recognizing and celebrating all the ways your child communicates—whether that’s through words, sounds, gestures, or facial expressions. Every attempt to connect matters! These moments may seem small, but they build trust, strengthen communication, and lay the foundation for progress over time.
More questions about CAS or speech therapy? Reach out to schedule a free phone consultation or speech-language evaluation. We’re here to support you and your child every step of the way!