Apraxia Awareness Day is an opportunity to raise understanding of a speech disorder that is often misunderstood, and to celebrate the children, families, and communities navigating it every day.
If your child has recently been described as having Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), or you have heard the term but are not quite sure what it means, you are not alone.
Let’s break it down.
What is Childhood Apraxia of Speech?
Childhood Apraxia of Speech is a motor speech disorder. This means the difficulty is not because a child does not know what they want to say, and it is not caused by weak muscles. Instead, the challenge lies in planning and coordinating the movements needed for speech.
To speak, the brain has to send very precise messages to the lips, tongue, jaw, and voice so they can move in the right way, at the right time, and in the right order.
For children with apraxia, those messages can get disrupted.
They may know exactly what they want to say, but their brain has difficulty organising the motor plan to say it clearly.
A simple way to think about it is:
The message is there. The motor planning pathway is what needs support.
What Might Apraxia Look Like?
Every child with apraxia is different, but some common signs may include:
- Difficulty putting sounds together to make words.
- Inconsistent errors, where a word may be said one way one time, and differently the next.
- Trouble saying longer or more complex words with many syllables.
- Speech that may sound effortful or ‘groping’, where a child appears to be trying to work out how to move their mouth.
- Difficulty imitating words or sounds.
- Challenges with speech clarity that are not improving in the usual developmental pattern.
- Differences in stress or rhythm of speech, such as unusual emphasis on syllables.
- Errors with pronouncing vowel sounds within words.
Some children may have only a few words. Others may talk a lot, but still be very difficult to understand.
What Causes Apraxia?
In many cases, we do not know exactly why apraxia occurs. Sometimes it occurs on its own. Sometimes it can be associated with other neurodevelopmental differences or genetic conditions.
Importantly, apraxia reflects a difference in motor planning for speech. It is not related to motivation, effort, or intelligence. Children with apraxia are often working incredibly hard to communicate and may need specific supports to help their speech become more accessible.
How Can Speech Pathology Help?
Speech Pathologists support children with apraxia through therapy that focuses on motor planning for speech.
Because apraxia affects movement planning, therapy often involves:
- Repetition and practice of speech movements.
- Building and practising sounds into syllables, words, and phrases.
- Using cues to support success, including visual, verbal, or tactile prompts.
- Focusing on accuracy of movement, not just sound production alone.
- Supporting functional, meaningful communication in everyday contexts.
- Therapy is often individualised and tailored to each child’s strengths and needs.
Communication is Bigger Than Speech
One of the most important things to know is:
Speech is only one form of communication.
While supporting speech development, many children with apraxia may also benefit from other ways to communicate, including gestures, key word sign, visuals, or AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication).
Using these supports does not take away from spoken communication. It supports communication now, while speech skills continue to develop, and every child deserves a way to express themselves.
Supporting a Child with Apraxia
Children with apraxia often benefit most when the adults around them:
- Slow down and give extra processing time.
- Focus on connection over correction.
- Celebrate effort, not just accuracy.
- Support communication in all forms.
- Work collaboratively with their Speech Pathologist.
- Remember that progress may take time, but progress is possible.
Final Thoughts
Children with apraxia have thoughts, ideas, humour, preferences, and stories to share.
Their speech may take a different path, but their voice matters.
Apraxia Awareness Day is a reminder to move beyond awareness toward understanding, support, and advocacy, because every child deserves to be heard.
At NSPOT, we love empowering parents and care-givers with all of the knowledge that they need in order to make best progress towards their child’s goals.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please ask your therapist or contact us!
