What causes childhood apraxia of speech?
CAS is a motor speech disorder. There is something in the child's brain that is not allowing messages to get to the mouth muscles to produce speech correctly. In most cases, the cause is unknown. However, some possible causes include:
- Genetic disorders or syndromes
- Stroke or brain injury
It is important to note that while CAS may be referred to as "developmental apraxia," it is not a disorder that children simply "outgrow." For many developmental speech disorders, children learn sounds in a typical order, just at a slower pace. In CAS, children do not follow typical patterns and will not make progress without treatment. There is no cure, but with appropriate, intensive intervention, significant progress can be made.
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How common is childhood apraxia of speech?
There is little data available about how many children have CAS. The number of children diagnosed with CAS appears to be on the rise, but it is hard to know how the incidence has changed over time. Some factors influencing this rise include:
- Increased awareness of CAS by professionals and families
- Increased availability of research on CAS
- Earlier-age evaluation and identification
ASHA Leader articles
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See Also:
Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Benefits of Speech-Language Pathology Services
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