What brought you to Apraxia Kids? 

 One day, our daycare called us worried that our daughter was not progressing in her speech development as expected. We brought her to a developmental pediatrician who diagnosed her with childhood apraxia of speech. That evening we searched the web trying to find additional information for this condition that we had never heard about and found CASANA, the predecessor to Apraxia Kids. Luckily they were hosting their annual conference of which we promptly registered for. We found a community of parents and professionals who provided us a support network. 

What is the biggest impact Apraxia Kids has had on your life?  

 Apraxia Kids has provided our family with hope. Hope that there were solutions rooted in science that could help our daughter. We utilized the plethora of information on speech therapy approaches. We also found the support provided by families with Apraxia stars invaluable. They were able to help us find the right local speech therapist, how to maneuver the world of IEPs, and most of all, provided our daughter with a community of children like her that she could relate to. 

Do you have any advice for the apraxia community / someone just starting on their journey?

Absolutely, here’s some advice for those new to the journey: 

• Educate Yourself: Knowledge is power. Learn about CAS, its causes, symptoms, and treatment options. Visit the online resources at (https://www.apraxia-kids.org/). 
• Be Patient and Positive: The CAS journey takes time and dedication. Celebrate small victories and maintain a positive outlook. There will be setbacks, but with consistent therapy and support, progress is achievable. 
• Connect with Others: Reach out to Apraxia-Kids.org support groups or online communities for encouragement, advice, and shared experiences. Talking to others who understand your situation can be invaluable. 

Remember, the Apraxia Kids community is here to support you. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help or information. 

Do you have a personal connection to apraxia?

Yes. It started with being the parent of a child (now teenager) with Apraxia. The organization gave us hope and helped us get our daughter the help she needed. Today her Apraxia is classified as “resolved” and no longer receives speech therapy. 

How has your contribution made an impact on the Apraxia community? 

Our daughter’s success with overcoming Apraxia of Speech was in part due to the support we received from Apraxia Kids. Our family felt strongly that we needed to give back and it started with participating in our local walks. Not only did we raise money to help support the great work and research that Apraxia Kids does, we were able to meet new families who we were eager to share our experiences. I then got involved with the Board of Directors because I felt that I could do more to help the organization succeed. Today, as the Board Chair, my goal is to ensure that Apraxia Kids is there to provide support and hope to those newly diagnosed families. I am also committed to ensuring that Apraxia Kids is the resource for Apraxia for not only support to families, but also for research.