Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a neurological speech sound disorder that appears in childhood. It affects the child’s ability to create movements to form sounds.
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), “Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a neurological childhood (pediatric) speech sound disorder in which the precision and consistency of movements underlying speech are impaired in the absence of neuromuscular deficits (e.g. abnormal reflexes, abnormal tone).”
Simply put, CAS is an impairment of speech motor planning – the pathway from the brain to the mouth gets disrupted, making speech more difficult.
What are the Signs of CAS in Younger Children?
Signs of CAS in children ages 1-4 include:
- Limited babbling
- Slow to gain new words
- Produces a limited number of consonants
- Uses mostly vowel sounds
- Not combining words into phrases
- Frustrated by communication difficulties
- Uses elaborate gestures to communicate
(Overby, Caspari, & Schreiber 2019)
CAS Resources for Families
Apraxia Kids Parent Portal: https://parent.apraxia-kids.org/
Apraxia Kids SLP Directory: https://www.apraxia-kids.org/speech-language-pathologist-directory/
Support Groups: https://www.apraxia-kids.org/how-to-help/support-groups-2/
Speech Therapists for Apraxia
Our nonprofit clinic is dedicated to supporting families and children affected by Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) through specialized therapy and resources.
CAS impacts a child’s ability to communicate effectively, which can lead to challenges in their social interactions, literacy and reading skills, and overall development.
Early diagnosis and intervention is extremely important. That’s why Columbus Speech & Hearing strives to educate our community about CAS, its signs, and the treatments available. You can help us raise awareness by sharing this post or other resources online at apraxia-kids.org.