Childhood apraxia of speech is a speech motor-planning disorder that affects a child’s ability to sequence oral movements necessary to produce speech sounds, syllables, and words. Childhood Apraxia of Speech is believed to result from neurologic dysfunction, although currently, no definitive evidence of specific brain pathology exists. Three elements have been identified as hallmark indicators of apraxia of speech:  vowel errors or distortions, inconsistent speech production errors, and prosodic disturbances difficulties, particularly in the appropriate use of word stress. This profile is commonly not observed in children with other articulatory or phonological disorders. 

In general, children with apraxia of speech demonstrate superior language comprehension. Children with childhood apraxia of speech can be difficult to understand; in the most severe cases, these children may not be verbal as oral communication is significantly reduced. They frequently show frustration with their reduced ability to speak.