Congratulations to Kristin Messenger, MS, CCC-SLP, for graduating from the Apraxia Kids Intensive Training Institute (Apraxia Boot Camp)!

Kristin is a passionate and dedicated speech-language pathologist with close to 10 years of experience with the pediatric population. She started her private practice, Messenger Speech Therapy, LLC, in 2020 and has a special interest in the evaluation and treatment of children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. Kristin is DTTC-trained and a PROMPT (Level 1) certified clinician. She is excited to now be Recognized by Apraxia Kids for Advanced Training and Expertise in Childhood Apraxia of Speech. She attended her first Walk for Apraxia in 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA and looks forward to attending the next Apraxia Kids Conference. Kristin also has an interest in neurodiversity-affirming practices and augmentative & alternative communication (AAC). She is committed to helping clients discover ways to express themselves and interact effectively with the special people in their lives.

Kristin offers services in Morgantown, West Virginia.|
Check out Kristin’s Apraxia Kids SLP Directory Listing to learn more.

Apraxia Kids: What are the top 3 things you learned from this training experience?
Kristin: 1) I learned how to use diadochokinetic rate within a dynamic assessment in a more data-driven and evidence-based way.  2) I learned how to differentially diagnosis dysarthria and/or CAS using the ProCAD and learned that these MSD’s can frequently co-occur.  3) I now have a wide range of progress monitoring tools that I can use in treatment, such as the Index of Phonetic Complexity (IPC).

Apraxia Kids: How did the boot camp experience change or expand your network of colleagues/friends?
Kristin: I became very close with my small group over the course of the boot camp experience and we now communicate weekly to share ideas and problem solve! We are all excited to meet up at the next Apraxia Kids conference for a reunion. I also found the mentorship process invaluable and learned so much from both my mentor, and the other leaders/teachers at boot camp.

Apraxia Kids: How have you implemented the knowledge you gained at boot camp?
Kristin: I found it helpful to slowly begin incorporating new ideas and knowledge into my assessment/treatment practices so as not to overwhelm myself. I started with incorporating new assessment tools, then started incorporating treatment principles, and finally carried over new progress monitoring tools.

Apraxia Kids: What is an example of how you have been able to (or plan to) use your expertise as a local resource/support for other professionals and/or families since attending the intensive training?
Kristin: In the future, I would love to hold small workshops for professionals or parents hoping to gain more knowledge in the area of CAS.

Apraxia Kids: What would you say to someone considering applying to boot camp next round?
Kristin: I would highly recommend this experience to anyone that considers themselves a lifelong learner! I was able to hone my critical thinking skills with regard to research and add many new tools and ideas to my assessment and treatment protocols. I cannot recommend this experience enough!!