What is Childhood Apraxia of Speech? The 5 Signs That Signal a Motor Speech Disorder, Not a Simple Delay
Jessica Franz, CCC-SLP
Every child learns to produce speech sounds and talk at their own pace. Some children pick up new words almost overnight, while others take a little more time to find their rhythm. It’s normal for early speech to sound a bit “off” at first—like “buh” for “ball” or “poon” for “spoon.” Most of these sound differences are just part of typical development and fade as kids gain more control over their mouth movements and as they age.
Other times, speech doesn’t follow that expected and typical pattern of development. A child might really struggle to get words out, even when they know exactly what they want to say. You might notice that their speech sounds inconsistent—clear one moment, and completely different the next. In these cases, what looks like a speech delay could actually be something different: Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS).
CAS is a motor-based speech disorder, which means that the errors you are hearing aren’t attributed to weak muscles, typical development, lack of understanding, or defiance. A motor speech disorder is about planning and coordinating the precise mouth and throat movements needed for speech. Your child’s brain knows what it wants to say, but the message doesn’t quite reach the muscles in the correct way or at the correct time.
Here are five signs that could point to CAS rather than a typical speech delay:
Speech sounds unpredictable. Your child might say a word correctly one minute and completely differently the next. This inconsistency is a key feature of apraxia. It's not that your child “forgot” how to say it, but that their brain is struggling to recreate the same motor plan. You will typically notice this difference in production of vowel sounds, whereas typical speech delays will likely not affect vowels.
Trouble imitating words or sounds. Even when a child with apraxia watches your mouth carefully and tries to copy, they often can’t coordinate the right movements on command.
Visible effort while speaking. You might notice your child’s mouth working extra hard. They might demonstrate pausing, groping, or “searching” for the right position to make a sound. Their production of speech might look like it takes significant effort!
Unusual rhythm or intonation. Their speech might sound choppy, monotone, or have misplaced stress patterns (like emphasizing the wrong syllable). This happens because timing and coordination are off.
Slow progress, even with lots of practice. While children with typical speech delays usually make steady gains once they start therapy, kids with apraxia often need more frequent, specialized practice to build consistent movement patterns for speech.
If several of these signs sound familiar, it’s worth checking in with a speech language pathologist (SLP), especially one with experience in motor speech disorders. An SLP can assess how your child produces sounds and words, identify whether apraxia might be the cause, and design therapy that focuses on improving speech coordination and consistency tailored to your child’s needs.
With early identification and the right support, children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech can make amazing progress! Therapy is typically hands-on, repetitive, and full of encouragement, helping kids build strong, reliable pathways for speech. Over time, those tricky sounds and words become smoother, clearer, and more confident. If you’re unsure whether your child’s speech is following a typical path or if something more might be going on, an SLP can provide an evaluation, answer your questions, and create a plan tailored to your child’s needs.