Helping Children With Speech Disorders

Every child's speech journey is different.

Understanding Speech

Speech is not just about knowing sounds or words. Speech is a motor skill.

It relies on the brain planning, coordinating, and sequencing very precise movements of the lips, tongue, jaw, breath and voice.

Some children know exactly what they want to say, but their brains find it difficult to plan or organise the movements needed for speech. When this happens, speech may sound unclear, inconsistent, effortful, or harder as words get longer.

This is known as a motor speech difference.

Motor speech disorders include a range of speech movement differences, such as:

Difficulties with speech motor planning and coordination

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) as one type of motor speech profile

Dysarthria, where muscle strength or control affects speech

Rather than focusing only on a diagnosis or label, we take a motor speech approach — looking at how speech movements are organised and how best to support your child’s communication.

Why Listening For Speech Errors Isn't Enough

Many traditional speech assessments focus on listening for incorrect sounds. While this can give some information, it often misses the bigger picture for children with motor speech differences.

When speech is a motor challenge, we need to understand:

- How a child moves their mouth and tongue

- How they sequence movements from one sound to the next

- Whether speech becomes harder with longer or more complex words

- How a child responds when speech is slowed down or supported

- How much and what kind of help works best

This is why we use dynamic motor speech assessment, rather than relying on listening alone.

What Is A Dynamic Motor Speech Assessment?

A dynamic assessment means we actively work with your child during the assessment, rather than just asking them to repeat words and recording errors.


We may:

  • Say words together with your child

  • Adjust the amount of support we give

  • Slow speech down or break words into parts

  • Observe how your child responds to different types of cues

    This allows us to see your child’s     speech motor system in action and understand how they learn speech movements when given the right support. It also helps us plan therapy that is truly tailored to your child.

Signs of Motor Speech Differences (including CAS)

A child with motor speech differences may:

  • Say the same word differently each time

  • Find longer or more complex words much harder to say

  • Pause, struggle, or appear to physically “search” for how to say a word

  • Speak with a choppy or jumpy rhythm, and may stress the wrong parts of words

  • Have trouble coordinating breathing, voice, and speech sounds

  • Find speech tiring or effortful

  • Feel frustrated or shy when they’re not understood

  • Experience additional communication difficulties, such as language delay

  • Understand far more than they can clearly say

These differences are not due to lack of effort, attention, or motivation. They reflect how the brain is managing speech movements.

Our Speech Therapy Approach

At Serennu Therapies, we take a compassionate, whole-child approach to supporting children with motor speech differences and CAS.

Here’s what you can expect from working with us:

Individualised therapy plans

designed around your child’s unique strengths, needs, and goals

Close collaboration

With parents and carers to ensure consistent support at home and in daily routines

Evidence-based techniques and frameworks

Use of evidence-based techniques and frameworks specifically tailored for treating motor speech difficulties.

Consideration and implementation of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

where appropriate, to support your child’s confidence and reduce frustration while working on speech

We use a motor-based speech approach grounded in how motor skills develop and are learned.

A key method we use is Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC).


DTTC:

⭐Treats speech as a movement skill, not just a sound system

⭐Begins with high levels of support so your child can experience success

⭐Uses slowed models, visual cues, shared speaking, and repetition

⭐Gradually reduces support as your child’s speech movements become more organised and reliable

⭐Focuses on meaningful, functional words rather than isolated sounds

Support is adjusted moment-by-moment based on how your child responds, allowing therapy to stay responsive, encouraging and effective.

Our goal is to help your child be heard, understood, and empowered to express themselves, in any way that works best for them.

Why This Matters

By recognising speech as a motor skill and using dynamic assessment and motor-based therapy, we can:


Better understand how your child’s speech system works

Build stronger, more reliable speech movements

Reduce frustration and guessing

Support confidence and functional communication

Honour your child’s individual pace and strengths

Our aim is not perfect speech, but clearer, more confident communication that feels achievable for your child.

What Next?

If your child is showing signs of Childhood Apraxia of Speech, or if you’re concerned about their speech clarity, we’re here to help.

Let’s talk through your concerns and explore how we can support your child’s communication journey.

Book a FREE 15-minute call with one of our therapists.

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