What is Childhood Apraxia of Speech - and How Does It Relate to Autism?

4-Minute Read

Autism often co-occurs with other diagnoses, and one common pairing is Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS).

CAS is a motor speech disorder that affects a person’s ability to speak. But what does that actually mean?

Motor speech disorders affect the brain’s ability to coordinate with the muscles of the face, mouth, and throat. This disconnect between the brain and the muscles makes it harder to produce the sounds that you want to make, and therefore can affect a person’s ability to speak clearly or consistently.

For children with CAS, this disconnect can be extremely frustrating. They know exactly what they want to say, but their brains can’t get their mouths to say it.

Importantly, CAS is not caused by muscle weakness. The muscles involved in speech are typically fine; the message from their brain to their muscles isn’t being sent and received effectively.

Most of the time, the cause of CAS is unknown, but sometimes it can be caused by brain damage in the form of a genetic disorder or syndrome, or by a stroke or traumatic brain injury.

The Significance of CAS

Think about a time when your body didn’t quite do what you wanted, maybe when you were overtired, or had a little too much to drink. You knew what you wanted to say or do, but your body wasn’t cooperating.

Now imagine that happening all the time.

The motor plan for the word is there, it's on the tip of your tongue, but it just won’t come out right. When you try to say it, people can’t understand you. This happens over and over again, until eventually, it feels easier not to speak at all.

Not because you don’t know what you want to say, but because you can’t get it out.

Signs to Look For at Home

According to the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), some early signs of CAS can be if your child:

• does not always say words the same way every time

• tends to put the stress on the wrong syllable or word

• distorts or changes sounds

• can say shorter words more clearly than longer words

They also may have difficulties in other areas, including:

• difficulty with fine motor skills

• delayed language

• problems with reading, spelling, and writing

CAS and Literacy - What We Know (And Don’t Know Yet)

There’s still a lot we don’t know about how CAS impacts literacy development. Research in this area is limited, and more studies are needed to fully understand the relationship between speech motor planning and reading or spelling skills.

That said, many clinicians and families report that children with CAS often struggle with phonological awareness, decoding, and written expression, skills that are foundational to reading and writing. If a child struggles to produce speech sounds accurately and consistently, it can be difficult to connect letters with sounds. This affects decoding (sounding out new words), spelling, and overall confidence with literacy skills.

If you’re looking for tools and strategies to support a child with CAS, Bjorem Speech is a great place to start. They offer a wide range of evidence-informed resources created by speech-language pathologists, including visuals, therapy materials, and literacy supports designed specifically with motor speech in mind.

If your child is showing signs of CAS or if they’re struggling to speak in ways that others can easily understand, you're not alone, and help is available. CAS can be complex and frustrating, but with the right support, children can make meaningful progress.

A speech pathologist experienced in motor speech disorders can work with your child to build their communication skills in a way that’s supportive, affirming, and individualized.

And remember, even if speech is hard, communication should never stop. There are many ways to support your child’s voice, including tools like AAC, gestures, and visuals. Every child deserves access to communication, no prerequisites required.

~Chloe