With much gratitude, Apraxia Kids would like to take this opportunity to thank Sarah White for her time, dedication, and commitment as the Apraxia Kids Board Chair for the past three years.  Sarah will continue as a member of the Board of Directors, continuing to move our mission forward.

We are pleased to share the following message from Sarah White:

When I took over the role of Chair of the Apraxia Kids Board of Directors in 2019, the path for Apraxia Kids had already been mapped out.  Our three-year strategic plan had just been written and adopted by our board and staff and we were poised and ready to accomplish big things – expanding our professional trainings, refining and growing our outreach programs, hosting a research symposium in additional to the annual national conference, and funding research projects, among many other initiatives.  We accomplished many of our goals in 2019 and were ready to take on year 2 when the world came to a screeching halt due to COVID-19.

As I reflect on my three years as Chair, the theme I keep returning to is perseverance.  Just as our Apraxia Stars persevere through innumerable hours of speech therapy, at-home practice, school-based therapies, and everything in between; just as their parents and caregivers persevere through endless insurance denials and appeals, managing work life balance, and all the demands of adulthood; just as our speech professionals persevere through managing clinical schedules, continuing education and research, and the changing landscape of teletherapy and insurance reporting, so does Apraxia Kids persevere through the largest challenge this organization has faced since its founding 21 years ago.  Through the COVID lockdowns and restrictions that resulted in canceling so many of our in-person events, Apraxia Kids persevered.  Through significant reduction in revenue from donations and Walk for Apraxia event income, Apraxia Kids persevered.  Perseverance was our incredibly dedicated staff that remained cheerful and flexible in a landscape of fearful unpredictability and ambiguity.  Perseverance was our all-volunteer Board of Directors that had the strength to make tough decisions while stepping up with their financial contributions.  Perseverance was our Professional Advisory Council that supported more research projects and virtual education resources than ever before.  And perseverance was our Apraxia community that stuck with us through these times, supporting one other and Apraxia Kids through countless months of challenge that none of us will ever forget.

We weathered these last two years better than many nonprofit organizations.  While our strategic plan became more of a wish list than a road map, we continued to work to attain similar goals, albeit modified in this new virtual and socially-distanced landscape.  We continue to prioritize education, offering more online education resources than ever before.  We hosted our first ever virtual national conference, attracting over 800 attendees from around the globe.  We continue to provide resources for caregivers, teachers, and professionals, downloadable from our website in English and Spanish, as well as online support groups and social media channels.  We continued to offer free speech tablets to Apraxia Stars needing alternative communication devices.  Our research grants application is open and accepting applications.  It has been my honor to serve Apraxia Kids these last three years.  And I step down sure in the knowledge that Apraxia Kids will persevere.  And with our new Chair, Lou LaVecchia, at the helm, I know we will accomplish big things in the years to come.  Because every child deserves a voice.