Research

Researchers study aspects of characteristics, assessing and treating childhood apraxia of speech so parents and clinicians can have evidence base behind the procedures used to help children find their voice.  Apraxia Kids is committed to supporting researchers through funding for their projects, providing platforms for recruiting participants, publishing summaries of their work, and bringing researchers together at symposiums and conferences.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH

Foreword from the Apraxia Kids Professional Advisory Council:

Research is vital for improving clinical outcomes for children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). For Apraxia Kids to achieve its mission, evidence-based assessment and treatment of children with CAS is critical. Better diagnosis and treatment will come by rigorously testing clinical and scientific ideas. Apraxia Kids is therefore proud to sponsor research grants on topics related to CAS.

However, research can only be conducted if families choose to participate. Scientists cannot determine what assessment techniques or treatment approaches are most promising without volunteers. Studies may address a number of factors such as different treatment techniques, early identification of CAS, long-term outcomes, speech production and speech perception characteristics, behavioral skills such as memory and attention, or biological factors such as genes and brain characteristics.  In some cases, the primary benefits of participating in research may be to help other families down the road, once scientists are able to answer their questions.  The outcomes of research are then disseminated to the wider community of clinicians, researchers, and parents through research articles.

If you have participated in research projects related to CAS, the apraxia community thanks you for this vital service.

The Status of Current CAS Research

There has been an explosion of research and articles in the area of childhood apraxia of speech in the recent years. It can be hard to stay on top of all of the evidence as well as to know what studies your child could participate in.  This presentation recorded for the 2021 Apraxia Kids National conference highlights current research projects from the researchers themselves on features, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of CAS.

Click here for more information about the research studies mentioned in this video.

Research Symposium July 5-7, 2022

Apraxia Kids is dedicated to advancing innovation through research and education. After postponing the Research Symposium in 2020, we are excited to open up the call for papers for the new date – July 5-7, 2022 in Las Vegas prior to the National Conference.

2022 marks the 20th anniversary of our first Research Symposium and what better way to celebrate than by bringing our national and international research community together in person to share research outcomes, plan collaborations, and discuss current research needs.

This event is co-chaired by Dr. Christina Gildersleeve-Neumann and Dr. Tricia McCabe who invite researchers to submit proposals for a 10 minute presentation to highlight the main concepts or ideas of their completed, preliminary and pilot work. Accepted proposals will be placed in one of the following topic areas:

• Etiologies and biological characteristics of CAS
• Diagnosis, assessment, or features of CAS
• Treatment of CAS
• Psychosocial factors and outcomes, prognosis and CAS across the lifespan
• CAS in the context of other disorders

Proposals are due January 10, 2022 and notifications will be made by February 15, 2022.

Research Symposium Application
Tricia McCabe, Ph.D. CPSP University of Sydney, Australia

Research Grant Application

Research Grant Applications are now open!

Letters of intent due dates:
November 15, 2021 for Clinical Research and Student Summer funding
February 15, 2022 for Student Fall funding

Apraxia Kids continues to emphasize an interest in clinical research projects aimed at the diagnosis and treatment of children with CAS across diverse populations including race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, language, age, and comorbidity. Additionally, Apraxia Kids is interested in early identification of CAS, etiologies of CAS, disparities in service delivery, as well as approaches which include biophysical evidence alongside behavioral evidence. Finally, Apraxia Kids is interested in quality of life research on children of all ages including teens/young adults with CAS or a history of CAS.

There are three different competitions, aimed at Principal Investigators (PIs) at different career stages. In addition to the traditional research grant competition for investigators with research doctorates, there are two competitions for student researchers. The student grant competitions are intended to foster development of research capacity in CAS to ensure a sustained long-term research focus on CAS. The first student grant competition is open to PhD students, and the second one is intended specifically for undergraduate and master’s level students from underrepresented groups. This latter competition is a new initiative by Apraxia Kids in a concrete effort to contribute to diversifying our profession in the area of CAS research. For both student grant competitions, research proposals must focus on relevant aspects of CAS, and must include a mentor with appropriate experience and expertise in CAS to supervise the project.

In all instances and in all potential study areas, Apraxia Kids’ primary interest is in high quality scientific research that, upon completion, will be suitable and acceptable to peer-reviewed publications.

Research Grant Application

RESEARCH FUNDING TIMELINE

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.

View Research Grant Timeline
Aravind Namasivayam Ph.D., S-LP (C)., Reg. CASLPO University of Toronto, Canada
Jonathan Preston Ph.D., CCC-SLP Syracuse Univeristy, NY

EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE

There are a multitude of different treatment approaches available for CAS. Tricia McCabe, Elizabeth Murray and Donna Thomas from the University of Sydney have graciously enabled us to share with you an Evidence Brief on childhood apraxia of speech.

This Evidence Brief reflects the past and current research from Australia in collaboration with researchers and clinicians across the world.  The CAS Treatment Project Log includes research that covers many aspects of childhood apraxia of speech.  We thank these excellent researchers not only for their contributions to our understanding of CAS but also for their generosity in sharing their vital information with others.

Click here to read more about Apraxia Kids Commitment to Quality Information.

Click here to learn how to judge evidence for yourself.

Click here to learn about which program could be good for your child.

ARE YOU CONDUCTING RESEARCH?

Apraxia Kids is a resource for academic researchers looking to identify participants for their Childhood Apraxia of Speech focused study. We provide a connection between researchers and participants through our website. 

Submit Research Study
Edwin Maas Ph.D. Temple University, PA
Edwin Maas Ph.D. Temple University, PA

Published Research

  By Nancy Tarshis, Michelle Garcia Winner, and Pamela Crooke August,...

October 14, 2020

Alisha Springle, Amber Breeden, & Anastasia Raymer Summary by Alisha...

September 16, 2020

Kristen Allison, Claire Cordella, Jenya Iuzzini-Seigel, and Jordan Green Summary...

September 16, 2020

Julie Case & Maria Grigos This paper reviews the speech...

August 27, 2020

Article and Summary by Kristen Allison, Ph.D. CCC-SLP For many...

August 27, 2020

Nina R Benway and Jonathan L Preston published an article...

July 29, 2020

Ruth Stoeckel and Susan Caspari published an article titled Childhood...

July 22, 2020

A new article was published online April, 2020 from the...

May 8, 2020

Findings from this study indicated that a greater amount of...

September 20, 2019

Published in June of 2019, this research outlines preliminary findings...

June 19, 2019

L.D. Shriberg, J. Kwiatkowski, & H.L. Mabie April, 2019 Childhood...

April 15, 2019

PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH!

Research studies need participants just like you!

Find an approved study below to participate in!

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This research study is comparing the home language environment of typically developing children to children with speech sound disorder.

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This research study at Syracuse University is exploring the effects of different types of treatment that have shown to help children with speech sound disorders, including childhood apraxia of speech.

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This study is attempting to learn more about the strengths and challenges children experience when they have a genetic diagnosis, including changes in the following genes: FOXP1, FOXP2, SETBP1 and KAT6A.

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The study involves a summer camp during which treatment is provided. Children will be randomly assigned to receive 16 hours of individual ASSIST speech therapy.

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A research study is being conducted by Case Western Reserve University on AAC use in children with childhood apraxia of speech.

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A research study is being conducted by Case Western Reserve University on the speech, language, and reading decoding ability of school-age participants with a diagnosis of childhood apraxia of speech.

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The main purpose of this study is to explore the link between genetic variations and speech and language in families.

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The purpose of this study is to determine if starting therapy at very early ages can minimize or prevent speech & language problems in children with classic galactosemia.

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This study trains parents of children aged birth to 4 ½ years with Classic Galactosemia, how to support their child’s communication and motor skills.

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This study aims to document characteristics of motor disorders that are present in children who have a diagnosis of Childhood Apraxia of Speech.

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This survey is documenting the impact of movement disorders in children across the US.

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Research subjects are needed for an online study investigating seizures and communication.

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This survey is exploring social and physical abilities/challenges in children with and without CAS.

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This survey will determine the comfort level of SLPs around the world in diagnosing motor speech disorders.

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This study is seeking parents and caregivers of 13-18-year-olds who use an AAC system to complete a survey regarding their perspectives and experiences.

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Young adults with CAS and parents of children with CAS are needed to give info on their experiences to help educate nurses about CAS.

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Researchers are asking for parents who have accessed mental health services for a child under 18 years of age to complete an anonymous survey.

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This study is looking for SLPs with limited exposure to AAC to complete a survey on their perceptions and practices.

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This study is offering free training to parents of children who are using an AAC device.

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Caregivers of children who use AAC devices to communicate are needed to participate in a survey in order to improve collaboration between caregivers and their AAC inter-professional team.

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This study is looking at the effectiveness of Dynamic therapy on children with CAS. It will provide an assessment, SLP training and therapy for young children.

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Caregivers of highschoolers who use an iPad for communication are needed to participate in an interview to discuss their attitudes and beliefs around the iPad’s ease of use.

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This study is exploring stress and stress management techniques through a survey of parents who have children with communication disorders.

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This online study of children with CAS, aged 4-12 years, are looking to better understand the connection between music and language.

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This study is looking for 2 5 year old children with CAS to participate in an assessment and 8 weeks of treatment to look at the effect of intensive treatment.

Apraxia Kids values innovation and is committed to funding research initiatives throughout the world.  The generous support of donors allows our organization to fund new and exciting research on a variety of apraxia topics.

Research Funding Timeline

After researchers who were funded by Apraxia Kids have completed their projects, they provide a report on the results and conclusions. This timeline shows a synopsis of each study that has been funded by Apraxia Kids since the first grant was awarded in 2009. Click below to read the results of 13 studies and access links to their related publications.

View Research Timeline

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