Speech Therapy For Children

Childhood Apraxia of Speech Therapy for Children

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (also referred to as CAS, apraxia, developmental apraxia) is a speech challenge in which children have difficulty making accurate and consistent movements when trying to speak. Kids with CAS know what they want to say but the message to the speech muscles gets mixed up. Their muscles are not weak but their brains have difficulty directing and coordinating speech movements. Children with CAS may have difficulty getting their mouths into the correct positions to make speech sounds and/or struggle with moving from one sound to the next. Therapy for CAS is fundamentally different from articulation therapy so careful identification of CAS is very important. Our SLPs will work with children with CAS to identify highly preferred and functional words and work them into daily life as quickly as possible. Speech practice is built on principles of motor learning and involves multiple correct repetitions of words and phrases within therapy sessions and at home.