14/05/2026
Today is Apraxia Awareness Day, and May is Apraxia Awareness Month.
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a neurological speech disorder that affects a child’s ability to plan and coordinate the movements needed for speech. Children with CAS may know what they want to say, but have difficulty getting the words out clearly and consistently.
Speech pathologists play an important role in assessment, therapy and support for children with CAS and their families. Early identification and support can make a meaningful difference over time.
For Samuel and his family, that support helped change the course of his communication journey.
Samuel first came to speech pathology when he was 3 years old. He wasn’t able to use any words and relied on gestures, sounds and the people closest to him to communicate what he needed.
Samuel has childhood apraxia of speech and his mum, Kathy, said the frustration of not being understood was hard. At daycare and kinder, this affected the way he interacted with other children because he did not yet have the words he needed.
His speech pathologist, Jane, worked with him for 8 years, building sessions around keeping him engaged, motivated and supported.
Progress took time. The early years of primary school were still difficult, and communication did not change overnight. But by grade 4, Samuel had developed more words, more confidence and more ways to express himself.
Kathy says his world became easier as he was able to verbalise more, and years later, Samuel made a speech at his 21st birthday.
“If it weren’t for Jane, he wouldn’t have made that speech,” Kathy said. Jane was invited to Samuel’s 21st birthday celebration and saw first-hand the confidence he had built over the years.
On Apraxia Awareness Day, we celebrate Samuel, and every person with childhood apraxia of speech, and the speech pathologists who support people with apraxia and their families every day.
For additional resources, visit the Communication Hub at https://bit.ly/4u9kmst.
