Childhood apraxia of speech is an inability to utilize motor planning to perform movements necessary for speech during a child's language learning process.

Childhood apraxia of speech has also been found to have more effect on volitional speech than on automatic speech.

It is now considered unlikely that childhood apraxia of speech and acquired apraxia of speech are the same thing, though they share many characteristics.

The cause of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), also known as developmental verbal dyspraxia (DVD), is unknown.

The disorder can be divided into two specific types: acquired apraxia of speech (AOS) and childhood apraxia of speech (CAS).

This is the favoured term in the UK; however, it is also sometimes referred to as articulatory dyspraxia, and in the United States the usual term is childhood apraxia of speech (CAS).

Ongoing research is exploring the use of Speech Buddies to help in other speech therapy applications including foreign accent reduction, childhood apraxia of speech, acquired apraxia of speech from stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) presents in children who have no evidence of difficulty with strength or range of motion of the articulators, but are unable to execute speech movements because of motor planning and coordination problems.