What type of speech impairment is characterized by inconsistent speech errors?

Verbal dyspraxia, also known as childhood apraxia of speech, is characterized by inconsistent speech errors that occur when a child struggles to plan and coordinate the movements necessary for speech. This condition affects the brain's ability to send the correct signals to the muscles involved in producing speech sounds, leading to inconsistent performance in speaking. For instance, a child with verbal dyspraxia might say the same word correctly one time but struggle to produce it accurately on another attempt. This inconsistency is a hallmark feature of the disorder, distinguishing it from other speech impairments.

In contrast, articulation disorders typically involve consistent mispronunciations of specific sounds, while phonological disorders involve systematic patterns of sound errors that remain stable across different contexts. Fluency disorders, such as stuttering, relate to the flow of speech rather than the ability to produce specific sounds accurately. The key aspect of verbal dyspraxia is the inconsistency in speech production, highlighting why it is the correct answer to the question regarding types of speech impairments.