Summary
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder distinct from articulation or phonological disorders. ASHA's 2007 technical report identifies three core features that should be present and documented. This guide outlines the assessment battery, the documentation needed for a defensible CAS diagnosis, and how to translate findings into school and NDIS-actionable recommendations.
ASHA's three core features
- Inconsistent errors on consonants and vowels in repeated productions of syllables or words.
- Lengthened and disrupted coarticulatory transitions between sounds and syllables.
- Inappropriate prosody, especially in the realisation of lexical or phrasal stress.
A CAS diagnostic report must explicitly address each feature with examples from the assessment.
Assessment battery
A defensible CAS battery typically includes:
- Oral motor examination — structure and function of articulators.
- Spontaneous speech sample — recorded and transcribed.
- Single-word articulation assessment (e.g. DEAP, GFTA).
- Phonological assessment — to differentiate phonological disorder from CAS.
- Diadochokinetic (DDK) tasks — sequential and alternating motion rates.
- Connected speech sample — for prosody and coarticulation analysis.
- Receptive and expressive language screen — to characterise co-occurring concerns.
- Hearing status — confirmed within last 12 months.
Report structure
- Identifying information and referral.
- Sources — parent interview, observation, prior reports.
- Developmental history — early feeding, babbling onset, first words, motor milestones, family history.
- Hearing status.
- Oral motor examination findings.
- Speech sample analysis — describing each of the three CAS features with examples.
- Standardised assessment results — articulation, phonology, language.
- DDK results.
- Differential diagnosis — phonological disorder, articulation disorder, dysarthria, structural concerns, hearing-related delay.
- Diagnostic conclusion citing the three CAS features.
- Severity and functional impact.
- Recommendations.
NDIS-aligned recommendations
If the report supports an NDIS access request, the recommendations section must:
- Describe the impact on functional capacity in NDIS domains (communication, social interaction, learning).
- Estimate the duration and intensity of intervention required.
- Identify the goals and the AT or AAC supports (if any) likely to be required.
Related reading
How we review this guide
Library guides reference original Australian source authorities — not secondary commentary — and are updated when source material changes. Each guide cites the regulator, item descriptor, or governing standard it draws from so you can verify it directly.
- Sources checked
- • Original Australian source authorities and peer-reviewed guidance
- Review cadence
- Reviewed annually and whenever a cited source authority publishes a material change. Last reviewed .
- Not advice
- Reference content for Australian practitioners and education staff. Not legal, clinical, or billing advice — verify against your governing body and current source documents.
Keywords: childhood apraxia of speech report, cas diagnostic report speech pathology, apraxia assessment australia, cas ndis report, speech pathology cas documentation
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