Childhood Apraxia of Speech Therapy

Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor-speech disorder in which a child knows what they want to say but has difficulty planning and coordinating the precise movements needed for clear speech. SpeakClearly supports children in Johannesburg North with assessment, therapy planning and family guidance when apraxia or another motor-speech difficulty is suspected.

What childhood apraxia of speech can look like

CAS does not look exactly the same in every child. A speech-language therapist considers the overall pattern of speech, movement and communication rather than relying on one sign.

• Speech errors that are inconsistent from one attempt to the next
• Difficulty sequencing sounds and syllables in longer words
• Visible effort or trial-and-error when trying to say a word
• Differences in stress, rhythm or prosody
• Speech that may be much harder to understand than expected for age

How SpeakClearly approaches assessment

Assessment explores speech sound production, oral-motor movement, syllable and word sequencing, language skills and functional communication. The goal is to understand the child’s individual speech profile and whether the pattern is consistent with CAS or another speech sound difficulty.

Therapy for motor-speech planning

When therapy is indicated, sessions focus on repeated, carefully structured practice of speech movements and meaningful words. Practice is adjusted to the child’s age, attention, communication needs and response to cueing. SpeakClearly’s team includes PROMPT-trained expertise and works with families so practice can carry over into daily communication.

When should I ask for an assessment?

Consider an assessment if your child is very difficult to understand, shows unusual inconsistency when saying the same word, struggles to imitate words or speech movements, or has made limited progress with previous speech-sound work.