{"h1":"Early Signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech at 18–24 Months","faq":[{"a":"It is very difficult to confirm this young, because a toddler needs to be attempting enough words for a speech-language pathologist to see the motor-planning pattern. Often clarity comes closer to 2.5–3 years. At 18–24 months the right step is an early speech assessment that tracks development and supports communication, rather than fixing a label.","q":"Can Childhood Apraxia of Speech be diagnosed at 18 to 24 months?"},{"a":"Many late talkers have a smaller vocabulary that grows steadily once it starts. With apraxia, the standout features are inconsistency — the same word comes out differently each attempt — and a clear gap between strong understanding and very limited speech, with visible effort to get sounds out.","q":"How is apraxia different from just being a late talker?"},{"a":"Don't panic, and don't wait silently. Note what you're seeing, keep talking and playing with sounds, and book an early speech-language screen. Early, playful, motor-based speech support can make a real difference even before any firm diagnosis.","q":"What should I do if I notice these signs?"}],"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","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-18-24","value":"toddler-18-24"},{"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-young-children","title":"What are the early signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech in young children?"},{"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-3-year-old","title":"Early Signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech in a 3-Year-Old"},{"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"},{"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"}],"summary":"At 18–24 months, early signs that may point towards Childhood Apraxia of Speech include limited and varied babble, very few growing words, distorted vowels, visible effort or groping when trying to talk, the same word said differently each time, and strong understanding alongside far less speech. CAS is hard to confirm this young, so these are signs to observe and discuss with a speech-language pathologist — not to self-diagnose.","answer_md":"*At 18 to 24 months, almost every toddler talks at their own pace — so how do you spot a difference that's about the brain planning speech, not just \"taking their time\"?*\n\n## In short\nChildhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a motor-planning difference: a toddler's brain has trouble coordinating the lips, tongue and jaw to make sounds on purpose, even though the muscles themselves are strong. At 18–24 months it is genuinely hard to confirm — but early signs to watch include very limited babble and few spoken words, vowels that sound \"off\", trouble copying simple sounds when you ask, and a child who clearly understands far more than they can say. These are gentle flags to observe and discuss with a speech-language pathologist — not a diagnosis you can make at home, and not something to panic about.\n\n## Early signs to watch at 18–24 months\n**With sounds and babble**\n- Limited or quiet babbling as a baby, with fewer varied consonant sounds (less \"ba-da-ga-ma\") than other toddlers\n- A small set of sounds and words that doesn't grow much month to month\n- Vowels that sound unclear or distorted, not just consonants\n\n**With trying to talk**\n- Visible effort, groping or \"searching\" mouth movements when attempting a word\n- The same word said differently each time — \"baba\", then \"bada\", then \"da\" for the same thing\n- Difficulty imitating sounds or words on request, even when keen to communicate\n\n**The telling gap**\n- Strong understanding — your toddler follows instructions, points, knows names — but speech lags well behind\n- Leaning heavily on gestures, pointing or leading you by the hand because words won't come out\n\nWhat sets CAS apart from an ordinary late-talker pattern is **inconsistency** (the word changes each attempt) and **the comprehension–speech gap** — they clearly know what they want to say, but the motor plan won't hold together.\n\n## When to seek a check\nMany toddlers with few words at this age simply bloom a little later, so these signs are reasons to observe and ask, not to alarm. A true CAS picture usually becomes clearer once a child is attempting more words — often closer to 2.5–3 years — so early on, the right step is a speech-language assessment that tracks how speech is developing rather than a fixed label. Bring it forward sooner if babble has been very limited, if words aren't emerging at all by around 18–24 months, or if your instinct says something is harder than it should be.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nAt [Pinnacle Blooms Network](/childhood-apraxia-of-speech), we start by celebrating how your child already communicates — sounds, gestures, intent — and build from there. Focused, playful [speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) for suspected apraxia uses frequent, motor-based practice to help the brain plan and repeat sounds with growing confidence. 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, 700+ therapists 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 the American Academy of Pediatrics and HealthyChildren.org milestones for early communication.\n\n**Next step —** if these signs sound familiar, book an early speech screen with our clinical team on WhatsApp at +91 91001 81181, and let's understand your toddler's communication 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-18-to-24-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-18-to-24-month-old","lang":"en","indexable":true},{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-are-the-early-signs-of-childhood-apraxia-of-speech-in-a-18-to-24-month-old-te","lang":"te","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"}],"meta_title":"Apraxia of Speech Signs: 18–24 Months","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Make sounds a game: face your toddler at eye level, exaggerate easy sounds like \"ba\", \"mama\", \"up\", and pause to let them try — reward any attempt with delight, not correction, so trying feels safe.","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 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