A Parent's Quick Guide to Motor Speech Disorders

When Speech Isn’t Coming Easily

Every child develops speech in their own unique way, but for some, coordinating sounds can feel especially challenging. You might notice your child saying the same word differently each time, having trouble putting sounds together, or feeling frustrated when trying to get words out. These can sometimes be signs of a motor speech disorder, such as Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). However, with early support and the right therapy approach, children with motor speech challenges can make meaningful progress.

What Is a Motor Speech Disorder?

Motor speech disorders affect how the brain plans and coordinates the movements needed for speech. Unlike typical sound errors, children with CAS know what they want to say—but their brain has trouble telling their mouth how to say it.

Some signs of a motor speech disorder may include:

• Inconsistent speech errors — the same word may come out differently each time

• Difficulty with prosody — unusual rhythm, stress, or intonation (e.g., placing stress on the wrong syllable)

• Struggle with longer words/phrases — errors increase as words get more complex

• “Groping” behaviors — visible effort or searching movements of the lips, tongue, or jaw

• Limited sound inventory — fewer consonant and vowel sounds compared to peers

• Difficulty imitating speech — even when trying to repeat

• Limited expressive language — children may say far fewer words than expected, even though their understanding (receptive language) is much stronger.

  
  

If you notice these patterns, it’s worth checking in with a speech-language pathologist trained in motor speech disorders.

How Therapy Helps

Helping kids with motor speech disorders is a lot like learning a sport or instrument—it takes lots of practice, clear feedback, and gradually increasing the challenge. In therapy, children get many opportunities to repeat words and sounds in fun, engaging ways. Instead of drills that feel like work, practice is disguised in play, keeping kids motivated while ensuring they get the high number of repetitions they need. Feedback is given in the moment so children can adjust, and activities are designed to move from easier targets to more complex ones at just the right pace. With this balance of repetition, feedback, and fun, children build the muscle memory for speech while enjoying the process.

When to Seek Support

If your child’s speech feels inconsistent, effortful, or hard to understand, don’t wait and see—get answers. An evaluation with a speech-language pathologist can clarify whether your child has a motor speech disorder and provide a plan for support.

At Early Bird Speech Therapy, we specialize in therapy designed specifically for motor speech disorders, including Childhood Apraxia of Speech. By combining evidence-based methods with play-based practice and the principles of motor learning, we target the precise skills children need to plan, coordinate, and produce connected speech!

Schedule a free consultation today to learn more!