This is known as apraxia - specifically ideomotor or ideational apraxia - being unable to relate the meaning of an object to a previously learned task.

There is no known cause for developmental apraxia of speech.

The treatment for apraxia usually involves rehabilitation through speech-language therapy, physical therapy, or occupational therapy. In addition, treatment such as chemotherapy is administered for the condition that caused the apraxia.

Testing for apraxia should employ basic screening tasks to identify individuals who do and do not require deeper testing for the differential diagnosis.

There are three major types of apraxia, each of which is caused by different sites of brain damage: ideational, ideo-motor, and kinetic.