{"h1":"Supporting Motor Development in a Child with Childhood Apraxia of Speech","faq":[{"a":"It can. CAS is a difficulty in planning and sequencing movement, and the same motor-planning system can affect gross and fine motor skills like balance, handwriting or using cutlery. This is why many children benefit from speech therapy and occupational or physiotherapy working together.","q":"Does Childhood Apraxia of Speech affect more than speech?"},{"a":"Use daily playful repetition — stacking, threading, climbing, ball games and action songs. Break big movements into small steps, strengthen the core and hands with play, and keep it pressure-free by celebrating effort rather than perfection.","q":"What can I do at home to help my child's motor skills?"},{"a":"Often, yes. A combined approach with a speech therapist alongside an occupational therapist or physiotherapist gives joined-up support. A clinician at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre can assess which professionals your child needs.","q":"Should my child see more than a speech therapist?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-we-support-motor-development-in-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"How can we support motor development in a child with Childhood Apraxia of Speech?","entity":{"key":"dyspraxia-verbal","kind":"condition","name":"Childhood Apraxia of Speech","slug":"dyspraxia-verbal"},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Motor","value":"motor"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Support","value":"support"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Plan","value":"plan"},{"kind":"route","label":"Occupational-Therapy","value":"occupational-therapy"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Family Empowerment","value":"family_empowerment"}],"parent":{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-we-support-motor-development-in-a-child-with-motor-planning-difficulties","title":"How to Support Motor Development with Motor Planning Difficulties"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-affect-a-child-s-motor-development","title":"How Childhood Apraxia of Speech affects motor development"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-we-support-motor-development-in-a-child-with-speech-and-language-delay","title":"How can we support motor development in a child with Speech and Language Delay?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-we-support-communication-development-in-a-child-with-motor-planning-difficulties","title":"How to Support Communication with Motor Planning Difficulties"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-we-support-communication-development-in-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"How can we support communication development in a child with Childhood Apraxia of Speech?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-we-support-motor-development-in-a-child-with-social-communication-difficulties","title":"How to Support Motor Development with Social Communication Difficulties"}],"summary":"Children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech often need motor support too, because apraxia affects movement planning beyond speech. Help through daily playful repetition, breaking movements into small steps, strengthening core and hands, and pairing movement with speech play — with speech therapy and occupational or physiotherapy working together.","answer_md":"*When a child works so hard to make their mouth find words, it's easy to forget that their hands, balance and whole body are growing too — and they often need a gentle hand alongside.*\n\n## In short\nMany children with [Childhood Apraxia of Speech](/dyspraxia-verbal) (CAS) also need support with motor skills, because apraxia affects the brain's planning of movement — and that planning matters for hands, balance and coordination as well as speech. You can support motor development through daily playful practice, lots of repetition, and breaking big movements into small steps. A speech therapist and an occupational or physiotherapist working together gives your child the strongest foundation.\n\n## How to support motor development at home\n**Build with playful repetition** — motor planning grows with practice. Repeat the same movements in fun, varied ways: stacking blocks, threading beads, climbing, hopscotch, ball games. Little and often beats long sessions.\n\n**Break movements into small steps** — like sounds in speech, big actions are easier when chunked. Show \"put hand here, then push\" rather than expecting the whole sequence at once.\n\n**Strengthen the core and hands** — crawling tunnels, animal walks, play-dough, tearing paper and finger painting build the stability and fine-motor control that later help with cutlery, buttons and pencils.\n\n**Link movement to speech play** — clapping syllables, marching to rhythms and action songs pair motor and speech planning together, which children with CAS often enjoy.\n\n**Keep it pressure-free** — celebrate effort, not perfection. Motor confidence grows fastest when a child feels safe to try and wobble.\n\n## Why motor and speech often travel together\nCAS is a difficulty in *planning and sequencing* the movements of speech — and the same motor-planning system can affect gross and fine motor skills. This is why a combined approach, with speech therapy and occupational or physiotherapy, frequently helps a child more than addressing speech alone. Progress in one area often supports the other.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nDevelopmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. under qualified clinician care — never from an app or a checklist. Our therapists map your child's speech and motor profile together, so support is joined-up rather than piecemeal. Explore our [speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) and how the [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) gives an objective, multi-domain baseline to track real progress over time.\n\n## Trusted sources\nGuidance aligns with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) on Childhood Apraxia of Speech, the American Academy of Pediatrics on motor milestones, and CDC developmental-monitoring resources.\n\n**Next step —** book a combined speech-and-motor developmental assessment at your nearest Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, or reach our team on WhatsApp at +91 91001 81181.\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-we-support-motor-development-in-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-we-support-motor-development-in-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"}],"meta_title":"Motor Support for Childhood Apraxia of Speech","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Pick one movement a day and make it a 5-minute game repeated in two or three fun ways — repetition with variety is what helps motor planning grow.","published_at":"2026-06-10T10:36:00.237648+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"understand","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-affect-a-child-s-daily-life","title":"How does Childhood Apraxia of Speech affect a child's daily life?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-considered-a-disability","title":"Is Childhood Apraxia of Speech considered a disability?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-genetic-or-hereditary","title":"Is Childhood Apraxia of Speech Genetic or Hereditary?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-common-myths-about-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"What are common myths about Childhood Apraxia of Speech?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-types-or-levels-of-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"What are the types or levels of Childhood Apraxia of Speech?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-causes-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-in-children","title":"What causes Childhood Apraxia of Speech in children?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"What is Childhood Apraxia of Speech?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-and-what-does-it-look-like-in-early-childhood","title":"Childhood Apraxia of Speech in Early Childhood","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-other-conditions-often-occur-alongside-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"What Other Conditions Often Occur Alongside Childhood Apraxia of Speech?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-current-research-show-about-early-intervention-outcomes-for-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-in-children-under-7","title":"Early Intervention Outcomes in Childhood Apraxia of Speech (Under 7)","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-and-what-are-its-icd-11-features-in-early-childhood","title":"What is Childhood Apraxia of Speech and its ICD-11 features?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-the-icd-11-classification-for-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"ICD-11 Classification of Childhood Apraxia of Speech","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Understand the subject","total":14},{"key":"signs","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"can-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-be-cured","title":"Can Childhood Apraxia of Speech be cured?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"can-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-be-prevented","title":"Can Childhood Apraxia of Speech be prevented?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"do-boys-show-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-differently","title":"Do boys show Childhood Apraxia of Speech differently?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"do-girls-show-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-differently","title":"Do girls show Childhood Apraxia of Speech differently?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"should-i-be-worried-my-child-might-have-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"Should I be worried about Childhood Apraxia of Speech?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"Early Signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-in-a-1-year-old-boy","title":"Early signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech in a 1-year-old boy","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-in-a-1-year-old-girl","title":"Early Signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech in a 1-Year-Old Girl","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-in-a-12-to-18-month-old","title":"Early Signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech at 12–18 Months","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-in-a-18-to-24-month-old","title":"Early Signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech at 18–24 Months","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-in-a-2-year-old","title":"Early Signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech at 2 Years","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-in-a-2-year-old-boy","title":"Early Signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech at Age Two","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Recognise signs & concerns","total":46},{"key":"causes","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-affect-a-child-s-motor-development","title":"How Childhood Apraxia of Speech affects motor development","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"are-boys-more-likely-to-have-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"Are Boys More Likely to Have Childhood Apraxia of Speech?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"are-girls-more-likely-to-have-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"Are girls more likely to have Childhood Apraxia of Speech?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-causes-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-in-young-children","title":"What Causes Childhood Apraxia of Speech in Young Children?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-early-intervention-for-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-advance-un-child-rights-uncrpd-and-the-sdgs","title":"Early intervention for Childhood Apraxia of Speech: advancing UNCRPD and the SDGs","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-known-contributing-factors-for-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-in-early-childhood","title":"Contributing factors for Childhood Apraxia of Speech","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-the-cost-effectiveness-of-early-therapy-for-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-in-young-children","title":"Cost-effectiveness of early therapy for Childhood Apraxia of Speech","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-the-prevalence-and-public-health-burden-of-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-among-young-children-in-india","title":"Prevalence and Public-Health Burden of Childhood Apraxia of Speech in India","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Explore causes & influences","total":8},{"key":"assess","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-abilityscore-track-progress-in-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"How AbilityScore Tracks Progress in Childhood Apraxia of Speech","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-is-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-assessed-in-a-young-child","title":"How Childhood Apraxia of Speech Is Assessed in a Young Child","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-is-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-assessed-in-children-under-7","title":"How Is Childhood Apraxia of Speech Assessed in Children Under 7?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-an-abilityscore-of-0-100-mean-for-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"What an AbilityScore of 0–100 Means in Childhood Apraxia of Speech","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-an-abilityscore-of-100-200-mean-for-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"What an AbilityScore of 100–200 means for Childhood Apraxia of Speech","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-an-abilityscore-of-200-300-mean-for-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"AbilityScore 200–300 in Childhood Apraxia of Speech","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-an-abilityscore-of-300-400-mean-for-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"What does an AbilityScore of 300–400 mean for a child with Childhood Apraxia of Speech?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-an-abilityscore-of-400-500-mean-for-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"What an AbilityScore of 400–500 means for a child with Childhood Apraxia of Speech","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-an-abilityscore-of-500-600-mean-for-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"What an AbilityScore of 500–600 means in Childhood Apraxia of Speech","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-an-abilityscore-of-600-700-mean-for-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"What does an AbilityScore of 600–700 mean for a child with Childhood Apraxia of Speech?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-an-abilityscore-of-700-800-mean-for-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"What an AbilityScore of 700–800 means in Childhood Apraxia of Speech","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-an-abilityscore-of-800-900-mean-for-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"AbilityScore 800–900 in Childhood Apraxia of Speech","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Understand assessment","total":16},{"key":"therapy","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-we-support-communication-development-in-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"How can we support communication development in a child with Childhood Apraxia of Speech?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-we-support-motor-development-in-a-child-with-speech-and-language-delay","title":"How can we support motor development in a child with Speech and Language Delay?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-we-support-communication-development-in-a-child-with-motor-planning-difficulties","title":"How to Support Communication with Motor Planning Difficulties","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-we-support-motor-development-in-a-child-with-social-communication-difficulties","title":"How to Support Motor Development with Social Communication Difficulties","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-we-support-motor-development-in-a-child-with-motor-planning-difficulties","title":"How to Support Motor Development with Motor Planning Difficulties","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"are-there-successful-adults-who-grew-up-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"Are there successful adults who grew up with Childhood Apraxia of Speech?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"can-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-attend-a-mainstream-school","title":"Can a child with CAS attend mainstream school?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"can-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-attend-a-regular-school","title":"Can a Child With Childhood Apraxia of Speech Attend Regular School?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"can-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-grow-up-to-live-independently","title":"Can a Child With Childhood Apraxia of Speech Live Independently?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"does-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-get-better-or-worse-as-a-child-grows","title":"Does Childhood Apraxia of Speech Get Better or Worse?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-non-verbal-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-communicate","title":"How can a non-verbal child with Childhood Apraxia of Speech communicate?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-we-support-adaptive-development-in-a-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"How can we support adaptive development in a child with Childhood Apraxia of Speech?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":66},{"key":"home","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-my-child-with-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-at-home","title":"How to Support Your Child with Childhood Apraxia of Speech at Home","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"At home & in everyday life","total":1}],"what_to_watch":"Watch whether everyday motor tasks — using cutlery, buttons, climbing, balance — feel much harder than for peers, and whether progress stalls despite practice. Persistent struggle alongside CAS is worth flagging for a combined assessment.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/childhood-apraxia-of-speech/","label":"ASHA — Childhood Apraxia of Speech"},{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC — Developmental Monitoring"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/Pages/default.aspx","label":"AAP HealthyChildren — Ages & Stages"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T10:36:00.237648+00:00","meta_description":"Practical, warm ways to support motor development in a child with Childhood Apraxia of Speech — playful repetition, small steps and joined-up therapy.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}