Print it for a clinic room, classroom noticeboard or parent meeting folder when families need a clear, child-friendly explanation of childhood apraxia of speech, CAS. The poster brings together signs to look for, day-to-day examples and simple support ideas for home and school.
Families and school staff can use the poster to feel more confident recognising and responding to childhood apraxia of speech without adding pressure to the child. It is suited to parents, carers, teachers, SENCOs, teaching assistants and early years practitioners who want a quick CAS information sheet to share during conversations or planning.
The content explains that childhood apraxia of speech is a motor speech disorder where a child knows what they want to say but their brain has difficulty planning and coordinating the movements needed for clear speech. It also makes clear that CAS is not caused by laziness or low intelligence and should be diagnosed by a speech and language therapist or another suitably trained professional.
Several sections focus on what adults might notice in real life: speech that is hard to understand, words sounding different across attempts, longer or more complex words being especially difficult, problems copying words and phrases, visible searching for mouth movements, unusual stress or rhythm in words, and a child understanding more than they can say. Another section describes everyday situations such as knowing the answer but struggling to say it clearly, avoiding speech when rushed, or saying routine words more easily than requested words.
The practical support ideas are split between home and school. At home, it suggests giving extra time, modelling short clear phrases, practising little and often using advice from the speech therapist, using gestures or pictures alongside speech, praising effort, reducing pressure to repeat, and following communication routines. In school, it highlights working closely with the speech and language therapist, allowing extra time, reducing pressure to speak in front of groups, accepting alternative ways to show knowledge, introducing key vocabulary in advance, and using visual supports.
