QUICK FACTS
Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder that becomes apparent as a young child is learning to speak. Children with CAS have difficulty planning and producing the precise, highly refined, and specific series of movements of the tongue, lips, jaw, and palate that are necessary for intelligible speech. Apraxia Kids is the leading nonprofit that strengthens the support systems in the lives of children with apraxia of speech. Since our inception in 2000, Apraxia Kids has provided support to more than 100,000 families and professionals.
CAS is often misdiagnosed because of its relative rarity. Research is lacking in providing us with information regarding both incidence and prevalence figures, but recent findings indicate that CAS is a low incidence disorder that affects 1 in 1000 children. Apraxia Kids provides funding to researchers who submit proposals for treatment research pilot studies. Over the years, these studies have proven to be invaluable to the apraxia community in supporting assessment and treatment decision-making.
Frequent, intensive speech therapy focused on the principles of motor learning is the only treatment for CAS. As it is relatively uncommon and often misunderstood, it can be difficult for families to find professionals that are trained to diagnose and effectively treat apraxia. For this reason, Apraxia Kids has invested in connecting parents and professionals through our online Speech-Language Pathologist Directory, and providing educational opportunities for professionals to learn more about CAS.
