Apraxia Kids is excited to announce the 2025 winners of the Kristin Lynn Johnson Scholarship.

Natalie Anderson
Austria Ruiz

The Kristin Lynn Johnson Scholarship was offered for the fourth time this year and we have received hundreds of applications! The caliber of the applicants made the selection process a challenge, but these three students really stood out above the crowd. We are proud to honor Kristin’s legacy through supporting these exceptional future SLPs to continue pursuing their similar passions.

Kristin Lynn Johnson was a dedicated pediatric SLP who touched the lives of countless students. In 2019, Kristin’s life was taken too soon by a motor vehicle accident. Apraxia Kids is privileged to partner with Kristin’s family to honor her extraordinary life and passion in helping children with severe speech sound disorders including childhood apraxia of speech, by awarding these students each with a $1,000 scholarship in time for their final spring semester before graduating.

Here is a highlight of just some of the accomplishments and experiences our winners shared with us.
Congratulations to Natalie and Austria!

Natalie Anderson (University of Tulsa)

Natalie discovered her passion for CAS during her schooling and quickly developed a strong foundation in motor speech disorders (from both the pediatric and adult perspectives), differential diagnosis, evidence-based treatments, principles of motor learning, and even therapy intensives for CAS. Natalie’s first-hand experiences led to her thesis focus: exploring the connection between CAS and early literacy since many children with CAS often struggle with phonological awareness and decoding. Natalie conducted a systematic review of research studies on the topic and the inclusion and exclusion specific criteria and found several intervention themes appeared consistently. This review strengthened Natalie’s interest in understanding how speech and literacy interventions can be integrated for children with CAS, and she will be presenting her findings at the Oklahoma Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention in Spring 2026!

Looking ahead, Natalie hopes to continue working with children who have severe speech sound disorders, including CAS and other motor speech disorders. She is especially interested in combining motor-based approaches with early literacy support and incorporating AAC for children who benefit from multimodal communication. Natalie’s long-term goal is to work in a pediatric outpatient or school-based setting where she can provide consistent, evidence-based therapy and collaborate with families and other professionals to support children with complex communication needs.

“Each of the experiences I have had so far, from coursework to clinical work to research, has strengthened my commitment to this area. CAS has become a central focus of my professional development, and I am eager to continue expanding my knowledge and skills so I can better serve children with severe speech sound disorders in the future.” – Natalie Anderson

Austria Ruiz (Arizona State University)

Austria’s passion for working with children who have severe speech sound and motor speech disorders began with one student while she was already working as a Speech Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) in a K-12 school and pediatric clinic. This student and his mother immigrated from Guatemala to the United States as refugees so he could receive the speech services he desperately needed as his English and Spanish were unintelligible due to severe CAS, and his frustrations and self-consciousness were clear. Austria’s mission was to help him find his voice, build his confidence, and provide a sense of safety, and she did just that! Austria established trust and a safe space without fear of correction or judgement, met each small win with encouragement and genuine celebration, used bilingual materials, collaborated closely with his mother and school team, and countless other big and small efforts together built a strong partnership that transformed this student’s confidence and willingness to communicate.

This experience shaped Austria’s professional interests and ongoing learning goals; she now has a strong interest in CAS and other severe speech sound disorders and plans to continue her CAS learning while continuing to serve bilingual and multicultural populations and aims to contribute to culturally and linguistically responsive practices that support children with complex motor speech needs.

“Watching [this student’s] progress has reinforced my belief that successful intervention begins with emotional safety and connection. Children must feel seen, valued, and supported before they can fully engage in the hard work of motor speech learning. My goal is to continue creating spaces where every child, no matter their background or diagnosis, feels capable, heard, and proud of their voice.” – Austria Ruiz