Dear Friends,

Wow! What a busy first half of summer it has been at Apraxia Kids, and with back to school and Walk season just around the corner, we have a lot to share with you.

In July, 837 parents, professionals, and students from 18 countries attended our Apraxia Kids Virtual National Conference. Of those, 617 of our registrants had never attended an Apraxia Kids Conference before this year – that is AMAZING! Our community learned, interacted, and participated in a variety of ways, supporting one another as they usually do at an in-person event. We are already planning the 2022 National Conference and Research Symposium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mark your calendars for July 5-9, and be sure to follow our Facebook event for the 2022 National Conference for updates. We cannot wait to see you there!

We are so excited that the Walk for Apraxia season is only one month away! While some of our Walk locations will include an in-person gathering, ALL Walk locations include a virtual option. This means that you can celebrate whenever and wherever is most convenient for you! Whether you attend the Walk every year or have never attended a Walk before, we would be thrilled if you joined us this year. Registration is FREE for all. It has never been easier to invite your friends, family, and community nationwide to be a part of your Walk team in support of your Apraxia Star. You never know who might be interested in walking, donating, or fundraising until you ask! So be a part of something bigger, help us move our mission forward, and join our incredible Walk community today! And don’t forget to earn your Official Walk for Apraxia T-Shirt by raising $50 before your Walk day.

As we begin the month of August, our kids will be getting ready to start school soon. This past May, Apraxia Kids added new IEP resources to aid our families in navigating a new school year. In addition, we encourage you to share the link to our Virtual Education Series with your school-based SLP. These free educational webinars are available to increase their knowledge of childhood apraxia of speech. And while you are picking up all of the school supplies needed for the new school year, don’t forget to use AmazonSmile where a portion of your purchases is donated to Apraxia Kids at no cost to you!

In addition, we have a variety of Brochures and Printables on our website dedicated to making sure your child is supported in the classroom. You will find information such as a “Letter to Teachers,” a Teacher’s Guide, and classmate and friend information. We continue to add new information, so check back frequently as we want you to feel empowered to advocate for your child as they begin a new school year.

Apraxia Kids relies heavily on volunteers to plan events, raise awareness, support local families, and so much more. If you would like to volunteer with Apraxia Kids and learn how you can become more involved, please fill out this brief survey, and someone from our team will be in touch.

There are many ways that you can further the mission of Apraxia Kids. Sharing our resources with a family of a newly diagnosed child, providing our information to your SLP for continuing education, or joining the Walk for Apraxia in your community are just a few methods toward making a difference. We hope you will consider investing in our organization with a gift today. Whether you are hosting a Be the Voice event, donating through your workplace giving campaign, or contributing an individual donation; every donation, no matter the size, makes an impact.

Thank you for your continued support of Apraxia Kids and our mission. Wishing you all well as we enjoy these last few weeks of summer!

Angela Grimm
Executive Director