Is your child trying to say words but they come out unclear, inconsistent, or not at all — even though they seem to know exactly what they want to say?
If that sounds familiar, your child might be struggling with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). For parents in Delhi NCR, finding accurate information and the right help quickly makes a huge difference. This guide explains what apraxia is, how it shows up in everyday life, how speech therapy helps, and how to choose an experienced pediatric speech therapist in Delhi who specializes in CAS.
You’ll also get practical at-home strategies, local resources, and answers to common questions so you can take the best next step for your child.
What is Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)?
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder. In CAS, the brain has difficulty planning and sequencing the precise movements needed for clear speech, even though a child’s oral muscles are not weak and they understand language. In simple terms: the child knows what they want to say, but the brain-to-mouth coordination that turns that idea into spoken words is disrupted.
CAS is different from:
Articulation disorders, where a child physically can’t form a sound the usual way.
Phonological disorders, which are difficulties learning the sound rules of a language.
Speech differences due to hearing loss or physical conditions such as cleft palate.
Because CAS involves planning and coordination, children often show inconsistent errors (a word spoken correctly one time and incorrectly the next) and difficulty producing longer words or phrases.
Signs and Symptoms to Watch For
CAS can look different depending on the child’s age and language exposure, but common signs include:
Inconsistent speech errors: The same word may sound different each time your child tries it.
Groping or visible struggle: Your child may show facial movements or seem to search for the right mouth position.
Limited repertoire of sounds or simplified words: Using shorter words or leaving out sounds to communicate more easily.
Difficulty imitating speech: Repeating words or sounds is unusually hard, even with prompts.
Prosody problems: Speech can sound choppy or robotic; stress and rhythm are unusual.
Delayed expressive language: Understanding may be better than speaking your child knows what to say but can’t produce it easily.
Increased difficulty as words get longer: Two- and three-syllable words are much harder than single syllables.
For bilingual children (common in Delhi), errors may interact with both languages. Bilingualism does not cause CAS, but it can make identification trickier so evaluation by a specialist familiar with Hindi/English bilingual development is ideal.
How Speech Therapy Helps Children with Apraxia
The goal of therapy for CAS is to improve the brain’s ability to plan, sequence, and produce precise speech movements. A skilled speech-language pathologist (SLP) uses repetitive, structured, and multi-sensory approaches to build reliable speech patterns.
Key elements of effective CAS therapy:
1. Individualized, intensive practice
Children with CAS usually benefit from frequent, consistent sessions. Therapy emphasizes repetition and gradually increasing complexity (from sounds → syllables → single words → phrases → connected speech).
2. Motor-based approaches
Therapies focus on the movement of the mouth, tongue, and lips:
PROMPT (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets) uses tactile cues to guide movement.
Integral Stimulation (“watch me, listen, and say it with me”) combines modeling, imitation, and practice.
Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC) emphasizes intensive, repetitive practice with immediate feedback.
3. Multi-sensory cueing
Using visual, auditory, and tactile cues together helps the child form a consistent motor plan. For instance, combining mouth pictures, hand cues, and rhythmic tapping can anchor correct productions.
4. Prosody and rhythm work
Therapists address stress, timing, and intonation so speech sounds natural and easier to understand.
5. Family involvement and home practice
Therapy works best when parents and caregivers are coached to carry over practice into daily routines. Short, frequent home practice sessions (fun activities, songs, reading aloud) reinforce what’s done in clinic.
Developmental and medical history (pregnancy, birth, early milestones)
Hearing and oral-motor screening (to rule out physical causes)
Language comprehension testing
Detailed speech motor evaluation (examining consistency, prosody, sequencing)
Observation of spontaneous speech in play and structured tasks
Parent interview about communication patterns across settings
A good clinic will provide a clear written report, goals, and a therapy plan you understand and can follow up at home.
Choosing the Right Speech Therapist in Delhi for Apraxia
Not every speech therapist has experience with CAS. When searching for a therapy specialist in Delhi, look for these qualities:
Qualifications and experience
Master’s or postgraduate training in Speech-Language Pathology.
Specific experience treating childhood apraxia of speech.
Familiarity with evidence-based motor-based approaches.
Pediatric focus
Choose a therapist who works primarily with children and who can create play-based, engaging sessions.
Multilingual competence
If your child is bilingual in Hindi and English, find a therapist who understands bilingual development and can differentiate language learning patterns from CAS.
Family-centered approach
The therapist should coach you on home practice and progress tracking, not just conduct clinic sessions.
Transparent assessment & measurable goals
You should receive clear objectives, expected timelines, and regular progress updates.
At-Home Strategies to Support Speech Progress
Therapy is most effective when repeated in short bursts throughout the day. Practical, parent-friendly strategies:
Make practice play: Turn drills into games puppets, picture cards, or treasure hunts with target words.
Use multi-sensory cues: Encourage your child to watch your mouth, feel your cheeks/tongue (where appropriate), and use hand cues to mark syllables.
Simplify and expand: If a multisyllabic word is hard, work on one syllable at a time, then slowly combine.
Read and repeat: Read short, predictable books; pause and encourage your child to say a word or phrase.
Choral speech: Saying words or phrases together with the child reduces pressure and can increase accuracy.
Routine practice: 5–10 minutes, 2–4 times a day is often more effective than a single long session.
Celebrate attempts: Focus on effort and progress, not perfection reward attempts to reduce frustration.
Apps and visual cue cards can help, but these should be selected based on your therapist’s recommendation so practice aligns with clinical goals.
Q:Is apraxia curable? A : CAS is not a “disease” that is cured overnight; it’s a motor speech disorder that can be improved significantly with early, targeted therapy. Many children make excellent functional gains in clarity and confidence.
Q . How often should my child attend sessions? A : Frequency depends on severity. Intensive programs (2–5 sessions per week) often produce faster gains, but even weekly sessions combined with daily home practice can be effective. Your therapist will recommend a schedule based on assessment.
Q. Can bilingualism cause apraxia? A :No. Bilingualism does not cause CAS. However, bilingual children may show different error patterns, so evaluation by someone experienced in bilingual speech development is important.
Q .When will we see progress? A: Some parents notice small improvements in a few weeks; larger milestones may take months. Progress is incremental celebrate small, consistent steps forward.
Q . Are there assistive options if speech remains very limited? A:Yes. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), such as picture systems or speech-generating devices, can support communication while oral speech is being developed. AAC does not hinder speech development it facilitates communication and reduces frustration.
Conclusion & Next Steps
If you suspect your child has CAS, an early assessment can make a real difference. A skilled pediatric speech therapist will diagnose the issue, design a motor-based therapy plan tailored to your child, and coach you with simple daily strategies that build clear, confident communication over time. In Delhi, choose a therapist who specializes in childhood apraxia, uses evidence-based motor approaches, and works closely with your family throughout the process.
At Trisha Neurodevelopmental Centre (TNDC), our pediatric speech team offers comprehensive CAS evaluations, individualized therapy plans using proven motor-based methods (, and parent coaching to carry therapy into everyday routines. If you’d like a detailed assessment or a tailored therapy roadmap, visit our to book an appointment. We’ll help you take the first confident step toward clearer speech and better communication for your child.Sources
