Childhood Apraxia of Speech

What is childhood apraxia of speech?

In order for speech to occur, messages need to go from your brain to your mouth. These messages tell the muscles how and when to move to make sounds. When a child has apraxia of speech, the messages do not get through correctly. The child might not be able to move their lips or tongue in the right ways, even though their muscles are not weak. Sometimes, the child might not be able to say much at all.

A child with CAS knows what they want to say. The problem is not how the child thinks but how the brain tells the mouth muscles to move.

CAS is sometimes called verbal dyspraxia or developmental apraxia. Even though the word “developmental” is used, CAS is not a problem that children outgrow. A child with CAS will not learn speech sounds in typical order and will not make progress without treatment. It can take a lot of work, but the child’s speech can improve.

Signs and Symptoms

Not all children with CAS are the same. Your child may show some or all of the signs below. You should talk to your doctor and see a speech-language therapist if your child is older than 3 years and

  • does not always say words the same way every time;
  • tends to put the stress on the wrong syllable or word;
  • distorts or changes sounds; or
  • can say shorter words more clearly than longer words.

Children with CAS may have other problems, including

  • difficulty with fine motor skills;
  • delayed language; or
  • problems with reading, spelling, and writing. sp

Causes

Most of the time, the cause of CAS is unknown. In some cases, damage to the brain causes CAS. Damage may be caused by a genetic disorder or syndrome, or by a stroke or traumatic brain injury.

Treatment for CAS

A child with CAS should work with a speech-language therapist. Your child may begin with therapy 3–5 times per week. As speech improves, treatment may be less often.

The goal of treatment is to help your child say sounds, words, and sentences more clearly. Your child will learn how to

  • plan the movements needed to say sounds and
  • make those movements the right way at the right time.
Other Ways to Communicate

In order to communicate, your child may learn sign language or may learn to use picture boards or computers that talk. This is called augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

Some parents are afraid that their child will only want to use AAC systems and not try to talk. There is no evidence to support this idea. AAC systems support communication and help your child as they work on their speech with the SLP.

 

(ASHA, 2021)