Pediatric Speech Therapy for Childhood Apraxia of Speechin San Ramon, Livermore, and Tracy, CA
Does your child know exactly what they want to say, but the words seem to get lost on the way out or are difficult to understand? Ongoing difficulty forming words or being understood may be a sign of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), a neurological condition that affects how the brain organizes the movements needed for speech.
At Language Essentials, our licensed speech therapists can help your child develop clearer speech through specialized therapy that teaches them how to make sounds and form words accurately, consistently, and confidently.
What Is Childhood Apraxia of Speech?
CAS is a motor speech disorder that affects how your child’s brain organizes and controls the movements needed to produce speech with the lips, tongue, and jaw. Even though your child’s muscles are strong, the brain has difficulty coordinating them to produce sounds clearly and consistently.
Speech therapy helps your child strengthen the connection between the brain and the muscles used for speaking. Starting therapy when your child is young, while the brain is highly adaptable, can make a meaningful difference.
Signs Your Child May Be Struggling with Childhood Apraxia of Speech
It’s normal for your child to experience speech errors as they grow, but CAS shows more persistent patterns such as:
- Having a limited range of speech sounds for their age
- Pausing or appearing to get stuck when trying to say a word
- Becoming less clear as words or sentences get longer
- Using unusual mouth movements to produce sounds
- Saying the same word differently each time
- Struggling to start or finish simple, familiar words
How Speech Therapy Helps Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Because CAS is a neurological condition that affects how the brain plans the movements needed for speech, it’s important for your child to work with a pediatric speech therapist experienced in treating this condition.
At Language Essentials, our speech therapists help your child practice the specific mouth movements needed for speech through structured, play-based activities. With guided repetition and support, therapy helps strengthen the connection between your child’s brain and the muscles involved in speaking so your child can begin forming clearer sounds, using words more reliably, and communicating with greater confidence.
Why Choose Language Essentials
Since 2008, the licensed speech therapists at Language Essentials have helped children across Northern California build strong communication skills. Our years of experience have given us the expertise and compassion needed to support children with CAS.
We take time to understand your child’s unique challenges, and we value working closely with families throughout the therapy process. Our goal is to help your child speak clearly, feel understood, and develop lasting confidence in their communication skills.
Find Out if Your Child’s Development Is on Track
Our free online developmental screening helps you understand whether your child is meeting important milestones or may benefit from additional support.
This simple screening is a quick way to learn more about your child’s development. After you complete it, our experienced pediatric therapy team will review your responses and provide helpful insight to guide your next steps. Take the free screening by clicking the button below.
Visit Our Locations
We have three locations in Northern California to enable us to reach as many families in the Greater East Bay Area, Tri-Valley and San Joaquin Valley. They are in San Ramon, Livermore and Tracy. We have carefully chosen locations that are easily accessible from major Interstates such as 5, 205, 580 and 680.
San Ramon
San Ramon is where the Language Essentials story started. From this location, we provide services for children from Walnut Creek to Dublin, and from Oakland to Fremont.
Livermore
In Livermore, the children receiving therapy come from all over the Tri-Valley, encompassing Amador Valley, San Ramon Valley, and Livermore Valley. We are also easily accessible to Fremont and Silicon Valley.
Tracy
Our newest location extends our therapy services to the San Joaquin Valley. Now, children up to age 17 living in Modesto and Stockton can experience the benefits of our speech, occupational and feeding therapies.
Insurance & Payment Options
Accepted Insurance Plans
- Aetna
- American Specialty Health
- Anthem Blue Cross
- BlueShield of California
- Brand New Day
- Bright HealthCare
- Cigna
- Health Net
- Hill Physicians Medical Group
- John Muir Health
- Kaiser Permanente
- Medicare
- Stanford Healthcare
- TCN
- TRICARE
- UnitedHealthCare
Accepted Payment Methods
- American Express
- Discover
- MasterCard
- Visa
- HSA
Reach Out for a Free Consultation
If your child may be showing signs of CAS, contact Language Essentials at (925) 743-3322 to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation or fill out our online contact form to request an evaluation. We look forward to helping your child feel heard and understood.
