Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a challenging speech disorder that affects children’s ability to accurately produce sounds, syllables, and words. Childhood apraxia of speech is a motor speech disorder where the brain struggles to plan and coordinate the movements of the speech muscles needed to produce clear and understandable speech. Unlike some other speech disorders, muscle weakness is not the problem; it’s the brain’s ability to send the correct signals to the muscles that contributes to the speech difficulty.
The cause of CAS remains unknown, but it can be associates with neurological conditions, genetic factors, brain injury or as part of a broader developmental disorder. Children with CAS may exhibit the following signs:
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inconsistent speech sound errors
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difficulty imitating speech sounds
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limited babbling or late onset of first words
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struggling with longer words or phrases
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putting stress on the wrong syllable or word
Speech-langauge pathologists (SLPs or speech therapists), play a crucial role in diagnosing and treating CAS. A comprehensive assessment by an experienced SLP that involves assessing the child’s speech, language, oral-motor skills, and non-speech motor planning abilities is required.
CAS is not a problem that children will outgrow. They require treatment to make progress and early intervention is best. Treatment approaches may consist of motor-based therapy, articulation therapy, multi-sensory approaches and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in some instances.
As parents, caregivers and educators, it’s essential to provide a supportive environment by being patient, providing opportunities for practice and seeking professional help from an experienced SLP.
With early diagnosis and appropriate intervention, children with CAS can make significant progress. As SLP’s our role is to support these children and their families on their journey towards improved communiation skills. If you suspect your child may have CAS, please don’t hesitate to reach out for help!