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QUICK FACTS

Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder that becomes apparent as a young child is learning to speak. Children with CAS have difficulty planning and producing the precise, highly refined, and specific series of movements of the tongue, lips, jaw, and palate that are necessary for intelligible speech. Apraxia Kids is the leading nonprofit that strengthens the support systems in the lives of children with apraxia of speech. Since our inception in 2000, Apraxia Kids has provided support to more than 100,000 families and professionals.

CAS is often misdiagnosed because of its relative rarity. Research is lacking in providing us with information regarding both incidence and prevalence figures, but recent findings indicate that CAS is a low incidence disorder that affects 1 in 1000 children. Apraxia Kids provides funding to researchers who submit proposals for treatment research pilot studies. Over the years, these studies have proven to be invaluable to the apraxia community in supporting assessment and treatment decision-making.

Frequent, intensive speech therapy focused on the principles of motor learning is the only treatment for CAS. As it is relatively uncommon and often misunderstood, it can be difficult for families to find professionals that are trained to diagnose and effectively treat apraxia. For this reason, Apraxia Kids has invested in connecting parents and professionals through our online Speech-Language Pathologist Directory, and providing educational opportunities for professionals to learn more about CAS.

ABOUT APRAXIA KIDS

Apraxia Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit publicly funded charity whose mission is to strengthen the support systems in the lives of children with apraxia so that each child is afforded their best opportunity to develop speech and communication.

Apraxia Kids is based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with employees in Texas and Florida. This organization of 9 full-time members is responsible for the development and coordination of all programming, education, funding, and research. With the support of thousands of volunteers and donors, Apraxia Kids is able to help children find their voices through education, research, support, and awareness.

The Walk for Apraxia is the primary fundraiser for Apraxia Kids, to help support our mission and ensure that we can continue funding research, providing education, and raising awareness.
Each Walk for Apraxia event is led by a volunteer who resides in that community. Our volunteer walk coordinators and a team of other volunteers organize the event, solicit sponsors, raise awareness, and bring together parents and professionals in a network of support.
The highlight of each Walk for Apraxia event is the medal ceremony. Children with apraxia of speech receive a medal to recognize them for all of their hard work in speech therapy to find their voices.
There are countless ways that communities can be involved in their local Walk for Apraxia. Small businesses can sponsor the event, either with a donation or through providing essentials needed for the event such as bottled water, food, tables and chairs, or tents. News stations and print publications can help raise awareness by sharing our press releases or attending the event. Community members, whether affected by apraxia or not, can form a team, walk with us, or make a donation to show that they support children with apraxia of speech.

Speech-language pathologists often times do not receive formal training on childhood apraxia of speech when they are at school, so Apraxia Kids provides opportunities to advance their education on apraxia so that they are better able to treat these children. We hope that through taking advantage of these educational opportunities, more and more SLPs all over the country can adequately provide treatment to children with apraxia of speech.
Apraxia Kids provides dozens of articles and webinars on our website, so that even SLPs in the most remote locations can access training on childhood apraxia of speech and improve their skills as a clinician.
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, educators, and others who are seeking the most up-to-date and in-depth learning opportunities available. Since 2004, over 4,100 attendees have joined us across the country! For many, the National Conference changed the trajectory of their experience as a parent or professional.
Few hands-on training opportunities to specialize in a particular diagnosis exist in the field of speech-language pathology. Intensive Training opportunities offered by Apraxia Kids, such as our Apraxia Boot Camp, are in-depth, in-person learning experiences to take your knowledge of childhood apraxia of speech to the next level. Over 100 speech-language pathologists in the US and Canada have been trained through Apraxia Boot Camp.

When a family is first diagnosed with apraxia, they may feel alone, confused, or frustrated. Apraxia Kids works to support families in a variety of ways to help them navigate their journey.
For many parents, our website is the first support system they access when their child has been diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech. It is the gateway for knowledge on childhood apraxia of speech, how they can advocate for their child, and the resources they need as they navigate this journey.
Parents also rely on our online support groups to connect with others impacted by childhood apraxia of speech. Here they can ask questions, seek advice, and learn from others’ experiences.
Our SLP Directory lists speech-language pathologists who have proven experience in assessing and treating children with apraxia of speech. Parents can find SLPs near them and get connected to appropriate therapy.

Each year, we celebrate Apraxia Awareness Month in May. Across the country, local and state governments recognize Apraxia Awareness Day on May 14 by signing proclamations. Our supporters raise awareness in classrooms, in the workplace, and with the general public. We know that raising awareness is an important step in ensuring that children with apraxia of speech are understood, accepted, and included.
In order to raise awareness, we provide brochures to families and professionals at no cost. These brochures have information for newly diagnosed parents, tips for teachers, and steps for explaining apraxia to family and friends. Each brochure distributed provides knowledge to someone about how they can be supportive of a child they know who is struggling to speak. We have distributed over 60,000 brochures since May 2018.
Each year, Apraxia Kids provides funding to researchers who submit proposals for treatment research pilot studies. Over the years, these studies have proven to be invaluable to the apraxia community in supporting assessment and treatment decision-making. Research is vital for improving clinical outcomes for children with apraxia of speech.