National Conference

The Apraxia Kids National Conference is the only major conference on the speech, language, learning, and life needs of children with apraxia. The National Conference brings together parents, professionals, researchers, and others who are seeking the most up-to-date and in-depth learning opportunities available.

Book your conference group rate at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel at Station Square here.

Register for the National Conference

Registration for the 2024 Apraxia Kids National Conference is open! Register early to reserve your seat in your preferred sessions. Registration closes June 23, 2024.

Register Here

SCHEDULES, SESSIONS AND SPEAKER BIOS

See the complete schedule, session descriptions, and bios for the speakers at the 2024 Apraxia Kids National Conference.

View Program Book
View Speaker Guide

National Conference FAQ

Click the button below to read answers to frequently asked questions about the National Conference including information about registration, session recordings, continuing education credits, and much more!

National Conference FAQ

SPONSOR OR EXHIBIT

Click below to learn more about sponsoring the 2024 Apraxia Kids National Conference.

Sponsor the National Conference

Research Symposium

Apraxia Kids is dedicated to advancing innovation through research and education. After postponing in 2020 and 2021, we were excited to hold the third Apraxia Kids Research Symposium in July, 2022. This was the 20th anniversary of our first Symposium held in 2002 in Scottsdale, Arizona with 23 researchers and a few parents and graduate students from all over the world discussing the research approaches and challenges specifically to answer the question of what are the neurological and behavioral markers of CAS for differential diagnosis. As a result of those discussions, a manuscript was printed to document the proceedings.

In 2013, the second Research Symposium was held in Atlanta, Georgia where 40 researchers and clinicians gathered to learn about and discuss “State of the Art” research developments and to make recommendations for future research funding and support. An executive summary was produced from the proceedings to provide the community with current research findings along with research needs, trends and ideas for the future. Between 2013 and 2022, more research has been completed and published than in the past several decades combined; several of which were funded by Apraxia Kids and are reported on the Research Timeline.

The third Research Symposium was held in Las Vegas, Nevada in July 2022, prior to the Apraxia Kids National Conference. Over 50 national and international researchers and clinicians spent 2 ½ days learning about where previous research has brought us and current research projects in a variety of areas. The symposium culminated in a discussion with the Apraxia Kids board members on what research priorities should be established for the next several years. More details from their recommendations will be presented in the upcoming months along with journal publications from the researchers.

The 2022 Apraxia Kids National Conference was held in Las Vegas, Nevada!

The 2023 Apraxia Kids National Conference was held in Plano, Texas!

The 2024 Apraxia Kids National Conference will take place July 11-13 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!

COMMUNITY TESTIMONIALS

What have past participants said about their experience attending a National Conference?

The annual Apraxia Kids National Conference is the only major conference on the speech, language, learning, and life needs of children with childhood apraxia of speech, bringing together parents and professionals from across the world.  Your support allows us to offer conference scholarships each year for parents to attend this powerful event.

National Conference Call for Papers

The call for papers is now closed. Presenters will be notified by February 15. If you have questions about submissions, please reach out to nationalconference@apraxia-kids.org. Registration for conference will open early March.

Scholarships

The Apraxia Kids National Conference is a unique educational opportunity on childhood apraxia of speech, and an unforgettable experience for all families and professionals who attend. Even though many attendees who attend describe this experience as “life-changing,” we know that not all those who would benefit from this educational event have the means to attend the National Conference. With this in mind, Apraxia Kids will be offering a limited number of financial scholarships to aid those who may not otherwise be able to attend the conference.

The deadline to apply for scholarships to the 2024 Apraxia Kids National Conference has passed!

Applicants will be notified by March 1, 2024

SAMPLE SCHEDULES

Parents of newly diagnosed children: Make the most out of your conference experience by ensuring that you sign up for sessions that match your level of learning!

Year after year, we see that first time conference attendees who access sample schedules to help guide their decision making when choosing sessions have an easier time registering and have the most overall satisfaction with what they learn.

Download a Sample Schedule

Conference Schedule

This year’s National Conference has a variety of live and pre-recorded sessions from presenters across the globe, covering a range of topics for both parents and professionals. Because the conference is virtual this year, attendees will have the unique opportunity to view most sessions following the conference during the entire month of July.

View Conference Schedule

Call for Research Posters

To continue our commitment to provide updated information to families and professionals, Apraxia Kids is inviting our research community to submit proposals for posters presenting results of current research projects. There will be a scheduled time during the conference for poster presenters to interact with attendees about your work. The poster presenters will choose if they would like to present their work virtually or by bringing a poster physically to display at the conference. We look forward to hearing from investigators at all levels (students and professionals):

Apply to Present a Research Poster

NATIONAL CONFERENCE FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the Apraxia Kids National Conference

Conference FAQ

SCHOOL-BASED TRAINING

Three pre-conference sessions exclusively for speech-language pathologists are available for an additional fee.

What can school-based SLPs expect from this experience?

  • Enhance your skills for differential diagnosis
  • Meet the challenge of mixed childhood apraxia of speech and other co-occurring conditions
  • Manage caseloads for providing optimal services to children with CAS
  • Balance group vs. individual therapy demands
  • Learn therapy strategies applicable to students with apraxia and/or other speech-sound disorders
  • Enhance your home carryover techniques
  • Share challenges, strategies, and successes with other school-based SLPs

Call for Papers

The call for submissions for speaking at the 2021 Conference is now closed. Authors of submissions will be notified of their status before the end of February. If you have any questions, please look at our FAQ on this page. Other questions can be sent to nationalconference@apraxia-kids.org.