Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a rare disorder that affects a child’s ability to control their lips, jaws, and tongue when speaking. This is caused by difficulties in the brain’s planning for speech movements, leading to improper movement direction for the speech muscles. Despite the muscles not being weak, they do not form words correctly. In order to speak properly, the brain must create plans that guide the movements of the lips, jaw, and tongue. Normally, these movements result in accurate sounds and words spoken at the appropriate pace and rhythm.
