{"h1":"Early Signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech at 12–18 Months","faq":[{"a":"Generally no. CAS is a difficulty with planning the movements of speech, and it needs enough spoken attempts — words and short phrases — to recognise reliably. At 12–18 months we watch for early flags such as limited babbling and trouble imitating sounds, and support communication, rather than label the difficulty.","q":"Can Childhood Apraxia of Speech be diagnosed at 12–18 months?"},{"a":"No. Many children with limited early babbling are simply later talkers who catch up, and quiet babbling can also relate to hearing, general language delay or other reasons. It's a reason for a friendly speech and hearing check, not a cause for alarm.","q":"My toddler babbles very little — is that always apraxia?"},{"a":"At 12–18 months it's often not possible to tell them apart, which is why early support looks the same for both — building sounds, gestures and the joy of communicating. Over time, a speech-language professional watches how a child's sounds develop to understand the picture more clearly.","q":"What's the difference between a late talker and apraxia at this age?"},{"a":"If your toddler makes very few sounds, isn't babbling with consonants, isn't imitating you, or has no words by around 15–18 months, a check now is sensible. Early support helps every late talker regardless of the eventual diagnosis.","q":"Should I wait and see, or get a check now?"}],"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","entity":{"key":"dyspraxia-verbal","kind":"condition","name":"Childhood Apraxia of Speech","slug":"childhood-apraxia-of-speech"},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"age","label":"Toddler-12-18","value":"toddler-12-18"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Communication","value":"communication"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Early Signs","value":"early_signs"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Screen","value":"screen"},{"kind":"route","label":"Special-Education","value":"special-education"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Early Clarity","value":"early_clarity"}],"parent":{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-in-a-9-to-12-month-old","title":"Early Signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech at 9–12 Months"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-18-to-24-month-old-might-have-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"When should I worry about Childhood Apraxia of Speech at 18–24 months?"},{"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"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-childhood-apraxia-of-speech","title":"Early Signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech"},{"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"},{"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"}],"summary":"At 12–18 months, Childhood Apraxia of Speech cannot yet be diagnosed because it needs enough speech attempts to recognise. Early flags to observe — not diagnose — include limited or vowel-heavy babbling, very few consonant sounds, difficulty imitating sounds, and a gap between a child's eagerness to communicate and the sounds they can make. Early support helps every late talker, so a friendly speech check is worthwhile.","answer_md":"*Every toddler babbles in their own time — so how do you tell a slow-and-steady talker from a little one whose mouth and words aren't yet clicking together?*\n\n## In short\nAt 12–18 months, true Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) cannot be diagnosed — it's a motor-planning difficulty that needs enough speech attempts to recognise, which usually means waiting until a child is trying words and short phrases. What you *can* watch for at this age are early warning signs: very little babbling or vowel-heavy sounds, a quiet repertoire of consonants, and difficulty imitating sounds. These are gentle flags to observe and discuss with a speech-language professional, not a diagnosis to make at home.\n\n## Early signs to watch at 12–18 months\nCAS is about the brain planning and sequencing the movements of speech — so at this young age the clues are mostly about *how few and how variable* a child's sounds are, rather than a clear pattern.\n\n**Babbling and early sounds**\n- Limited or late babbling — fewer of those repetitive \"bababa\", \"dada\", \"mama\" strings than other children\n- Sounds heavy on vowels (\"ah\", \"oo\") with very few consonants\n- A small set of consonant sounds overall\n\n**Imitation and trying words**\n- Difficulty copying sounds or simple words when you model them\n- Inconsistency — saying a sound or word one moment and not being able to repeat it\n- Seeming to *want* to communicate (pointing, gesturing, leading you by the hand) but struggling to make the sounds follow\n\n**Feeding and mouth movements**\n- Some children have early feeding differences, though this alone is not a sign of CAS\n\nWhat matters most here is the *gap* between a child's eagerness to communicate and the sounds they can actually produce — a child who understands well, points and gestures, but stays unusually quiet vocally is worth a friendly check.\n\n## When to seek a check\nMany 12–18-month-olds simply talk later, and most catch up beautifully. Consider a developmental and speech check if your toddler is making very few sounds, isn't babbling with consonants, isn't trying to imitate you, or isn't using any words by around 15–18 months. Because true CAS needs more spoken attempts to identify, an early visit is usually about *supporting communication now* and watching closely — early support helps every late talker, whatever the eventual picture.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nAt [Pinnacle Blooms Network](/), we meet your toddler where they are — strengthening the joy of communication first, through play, gesture, sounds and connection. [Speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) at this age is gentle and playful, building the foundations of sound-making and turn-taking, with parents fully part of the journey. If concerns continue, our team can guide you on when a [Childhood Apraxia of Speech](/childhood-apraxia-of-speech) assessment becomes meaningful. A clinical [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care; nothing here is a diagnosis. Across 70+ centres in 4 states and 4.95 lakh+ families served, our aim is steady, strengths-first progress.\n\n## Trusted sources\nAligned with WHO ICD-11 (6A01.0 Developmental speech sound disorder), the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) guidance on Childhood Apraxia of Speech and early communication, and the American Academy of Pediatrics / HealthyChildren.org milestones for early speech and language.\n\n**Next step —** if your little one is unusually quiet or struggling to make sounds, book a friendly developmental and speech screen with our clinical team on WhatsApp at +91 91001 81181, and let's understand your child together.\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-are-the-early-signs-of-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-in-a-12-to-18-month-old","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/what-are-the-early-signs-of-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-in-a-12-to-18-month-old","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"}],"meta_title":"Early Signs of Apraxia of Speech: 12–18 Months","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Play sound games face-to-face: exaggerate simple sounds like \"mmm\", \"baba\", \"uh-oh\" during everyday moments and pause to let your toddler try. Reward any attempt — a look, a sound, a gesture — with delight; copying back what they do encourages more.","published_at":"2026-06-10T10:54:00.24648+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 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between your toddler's wish to communicate (pointing, gesturing) and the sounds they can produce. Seek a check if there are no words by around 15–18 months.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://icd.who.int/","code":"6A01.0","label":"WHO ICD-11 — Developmental speech sound disorder"},{"url":"https://www.asha.org/","label":"ASHA — Childhood Apraxia of Speech"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org/","label":"HealthyChildren.org — early speech and language milestones"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T10:54:00.24648+00:00","meta_description":"What to watch for in a 12–18-month-old who may have Childhood Apraxia of Speech — limited babbling, few consonants, trouble imitating sounds. Gentle, non-d","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}