13 May Congratulations Jennie Bjorem, M.A., CCC-SLP!

Congratulations to Jennie Bjorem, M.A., CCC-SLP, for graduating from the Apraxia Kids Intensive Training Institute (Apraxia Boot Camp)!

Jennie received her bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Saint Louis University and graduated from Truman State University with her master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders in May 1999. She has a great understanding from a parent perspective as she has a young child with special needs. She is the owner of Children’s Therapy Services in Overland Park, Kansas. Jennie’s area of expertise is in early intervention birth through 5, parent education and childhood apraxia of speech. She currently provides 22 speech therapy sessions a week to children with CAS. She presented at the Apraxia Kids national conference in 2018, had over 75 hours of CAS training in 2018 and was awarded the ASHA ACE Award for Continuing Education. Jennie travels the country speaking on the topic of CAS in her spare time. Jennie is the creator of the Bjorem Speech Sound Cues for acquisition of speech and literacy. With her growing caseload of children with apraxia, she saw a need for visual cueing that young children could understand. Jennie designed, produced and self-published the cue set.

Apraxia Kids: If you were to state the #1 thing you learned from this training experience, what would that be?

Jennie: Confidence in evaluating and diagnosing CAS using an evidence-based approach.

Apraxia Kids: Tell us about any relationships that you formed through the training experience.

Jennie: The Apraxia Kids boot camp experience has expanded my professional relationships into the CAS community. This experience has given me a connection to an elite group of SLPs to support and grow together as a community in the area of childhood apraxia of speech.

Apraxia Kids: Have you served as a local resource/information source for other professionals and families since attending the intensive training?

Jennie: Since boot camp, I have been invited to speak on the topic of childhood apraxia around the country. I continue to participate in our local Apraxia Kids Walk, am an admin to the KC CAS Facebook page and am dedicated to my work educating families and treating children with CAS.

Apraxia Kids: What would you say to someone considering applying to boot camp next year?

Jennie: Jump in! If you love speech sound disorders, want to gain an in-depth understanding of CAS, have the desire to pay it forward through training and spreading awareness, this boot camp will change your life.