Childhood apraxia of speech

A child who has childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) can't speak well. They understand language. They know what they want to say. And the muscles of the mouth and throat have the strength and tone needed to speak. But their brain isn't able to plan the order and timing needed for the muscles to move together to create speech that others can understand.

CAS makes it hard for infants and toddlers to practice the sounds they hear when people talk to them. In older children, CAS can make it hard for other people to understand them. If your child has CAS, this may be frustrating for both of you.

Experts don't know what causes CAS. But with speech therapy, most children can learn to speak more clearly.

The symptoms of CAS can vary from child to child. Your child's language development may be slow. And they may say words the wrong way. Some children don't always say the same words the same way.

The doctor will do a physical exam and ask questions about your child's past health. The doctor will also ask if your child has reached speech and language milestones for their age.

If the doctor thinks that your child has a speech problem, they will refer your child to a speech-language pathologist (SLP). SLPs diagnose and treat speech and language problems. The SLP will listen to your child talk. They will also ask your child to say certain sounds, words, and sentences.

Tests may be suggested to:

• Look for other conditions. For example, your child may get a hearing test to rule out hearing loss.
• Find out what speech sounds your child can say.
• Find out if your child has problems putting sounds together to form words and sentences.
• Check how well your child is gaining speech, language, and motor skills.
• Make sure your child understands the speech of others and can follow directions.
• Find out if your child is having other problems, such as behavior issues. This may also include trouble with common skills, such as sucking, chewing, or swallowing.

If your child has CAS, they will need regular speech therapy to learn how to speak more clearly. The speech-language pathologist may:

• Help your child learn to make different speech sounds and combinations of sounds. This can make speech easier for your child. It can also make their speech clearer.
• Help your child learn sign language or use devices to communicate if needed.

Treatment works best when problems are caught early. Your child's speech therapy team will help you decide on the best schedule for treatment.

A common schedule is for a child to get therapy once or twice a week and to practice every day at home. Often the SLP will suggest that it's best for the child to have several short practice sessions over the course of a day.