Giving a voice to individuals with Speech Apraxia
Childhood Apraxia of Speech
(Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia)
Acquired apraxia of speech
Primary Progressive Apraxia of Speech
About Speech Apraxia UK
Welcome to Speech Apraxia UK
We are a growing, internationally recognised leading non-commercial community organisation. We support those with apraxia of speech, whether childhood, acquired, or primary progressive.
Speech Apraxia UK — Reaching 25+ countries, 4,000 monthly visitors, and over 70,000 social views to raise awareness worldwide.
We began as the first organisation dedicated to supporting adults but soon saw the need to help children too. In August 2025, we expanded our mission to support all ages—working with families, carers, and professionals to ensure everyone can access the therapy, resources, and advocacy they deserve.
Today, we offer
- Ask experts questions on speech apraxia
- Access resources on assessment/therapy.
- Thriving social media support network
- Chance to showcase your research and recruit participants.
- Hear the lived experience of others.
- Training and support to individuals and organisations
Our aim is to empower, inform and support people with apraxia of speech. Thank you for joining our Speech Apraxia UK community
Ruth Rowntree—Founder of Speech Apraxia UK
Get involved
Got a question for our Speech and language team?
Got a question for our Speech and language team?
Got a question for our Speech and language team?
Our amazing team of SLTs/SLPs the ‘Friends of Speech Apraxia’ are here to help. They’ve generously offered their time and expertise to answer your questions. Use this form to reach out for information, support, and friendly advice https://forms.office.com/r/1T5mpuw5JS
Training/lived experience talk (FREE t&c apply)
Got a question for our Speech and language team?
Got a question for our Speech and language team?
We can offer training or personal experience talks. These are FREE if online to a non-funded group. Otherwise there is a small charge to cover our running costs.https://forms.office.com/r/aJS92UAjFq
Become a friend of Speech Apraxia UK
Got a question for our Speech and language team?
Become a friend of Speech Apraxia UK
Calling SLTs/SLPs!
Join us in answering questions from our readers.
Benefits:
Help others navigate speech apraxia.
Promote your services or social media links
Share your expertise to provide accurate advice on apraxia
Respond to as many enquiries as you wish
https://forms.office.com/r/uHsXhfKiB6
Share your book, app or product
Share your book, app or product
Become a friend of Speech Apraxia UK
Got something great to share with our Speech Apraxia community?
Submit, Share, or Request a Review your book, app or product for FREE (T&C's apply)
Want help with research?
Share your book, app or product
Want help with research?
We want to encourage research into Apraxia of speech but it can be difficult to get participants/collaborators so advertise on here
FREE-unfunded MSc. or below
£30 -funded or PhD
Showcase your research
Share your book, app or product
Want help with research?
Completed research or a literature review on Speech Apraxia -send it us
Showcase your research on our site!
FREE-unfunded MSc. or below
£30 -funded or PhD
A bit about me
Ruth, Founder of 'Speech Apraxia UK'
I was born with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) and am also nearly finished training to be a speech and language therapist. Growing up, I had extensive speech and language therapy for many years and became very aware of the challenges and frustrations that came with living with it.
However, for me it was seeing the difficulties of others communicating that really inspired me to train to be a speech and language therapist. But even as I trained, I continued to face difficulties. There is so little awareness of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia) amongst professionals. It is a rare disorder. Other forms of speech apraxia like verbal dyspraxia after a stroke or progressive verbal dyspraxia also hardly get a mention. This is why I set up Speech Apraxia UK
This website www.speechapraxia.co.uk is built from that lived experience. It’s packed with resources, ideas, and support, things I wish I had access to earlier. Whether you're an adult with CAS, a person who has developed speech apraxia later on, or someone just interested in the disorder, I hope you find it useful. Don't forget to drop me a line and tell me what you think!
Training to be an SLT... with apraxia of speech—the journey
Available for Guest Lectures & Speaking Engagements
As founder of Speech Apraxia UK, I offer guest lectures, lived experience sessions, and conference talks on Apraxia of Speech, speech differences and disorders.. My diary fills up quickly, so it would be great if you could give me as much notice as possible. Please use the QR code or form
https://forms.office.com/r/aJS92UAjFq
Finding My Voice: The Story Behind Speech Apraxia UK
Apraxia of speech in the news
PET Imaging Maps Brain Inflammation in Progressive Speech Disorder
Neuroscience News discusses a novel PET imaging study that has identified unique patterns of neuroinflammation in patients with progressive apraxia of speech (PAOS), a rare disorder that impairs the brain’s ability to plan speech. Using TSPO PET scans, researchers found elevated inflammation in brain regions involved in movement and speech, particularly in patients who also showed signs of Parkinson-plus syndromes.
The findings link brain inflammation to tau pathology and disease severity, suggesting inflammation could serve as an early biomarker for PAOS progression.(June 24, 2025).
Join the discussion on Facebook
Join our Facebook community to discuss all things Apraxia of Speech - Facebook
No longer who I used to be says Kris Kamara
Powering Speech: Can Brain Stimulation Boost Therapy for Speech Apraxia?
Chris Kamara admits, 'I'm no longer the person I used to be' and reveals deep regret. Sky Sports star Chris Kamara's life was turned upside down in 2022 when he was diagnosed with apraxia of speech (AOS), which also affected his balance and coordination.
Chris, 67, flew to Mexico for treatment in a bid to reverse or slow down some of the effects of the neurological disorder, which include difficulty when speaking. However, despite initial success, the machine that transmitted radio frequency and magnetic fields into the body similar to an MRI became less effective, resulting in Chris stopping treatment(Mirror, 2025).
Powering Speech: Can Brain Stimulation Boost Therapy for Speech Apraxia?
Powering Speech: Can Brain Stimulation Boost Therapy for Speech Apraxia?
Imagine improving speech by applying a gentle electrical current to the brain. That’s what researchers explored using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive technique that targets brain areas to enhance function.
They focused on the left inferior frontal gyrus, key to speech production to see if pairing tDCS with therapy could help people with apraxia of speech linked to non-fluent primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA).
Eight participants received either real or sham tDCS during word-production therapy. Those with active tDCS showed shorter speech sound durations, indicating smoother, more efficient speech. Remarkably, gains lasted two months and applied to untrained words.
This study suggests that brain stimulation may enhance traditional speech therapy, offering new hope for those with progressive speech disorders (Themistocleous et al., 2021).
Put it in the diary!
May 14th is Apraxia Awareness day, here at Speech Apraxia UK. We want to use this opportunity to spread awareness and campaign for better access to resources. Tell us what you would like?
October 6-12 is Dsypraxia Awareness week see www.dyspraxiamagazine.com for more info.
Twenty-Third Biennial Conference on Motor Speech (CMS 2026) Tempe, Arizona. February 25–28, 2026 focused on motor speech disorders, speech motor control, and innovations in speech assessment.
Apraxia Kids July 9-11 2026 National Conference Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Esteemed International Expert to Contribute Guest Piece on Apraxia of Speech
We are absolutely delighted to share that Professor Emeritus Anita van der Merwe globally respected leader in the field of motor speech disorders — has shared warm praise for our new website and has also kindly agreed to contribute as a guest writer.
In her message, Professor van der Merwe wrote:
“Congratulations on your website for apraxia of speech for people in the UK and elsewhere; it is a great website!”
We are even more thrilled to announce that Professor van der Merwe will be writing a special guest piece for the site, focusing on apraxia of speech and approaches to speech motor treatment.
We’re truly excited and honoured to welcome her voice to the website.
Speech apraxia and the law
Speech apraxia discrimination and the law- Full guide
Read our guide on SPEECH APRAXIA DISCRIMINATION AND THE LAW. https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:14922097-ca9b-4ac9-aa34-13d782e06a25
Law Centres Network: Their solicitors may provide you with free advice and representation.
Universities may have FREE legal clinics staffed by students and staff from student law departments.
Excutive summary Speech apraxia and the law
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:63a63bbc-dd59-4597-85d6-088d79d29086
Citizens Advice: They can help you negotiate with an employer and may, in some cases, be able to represent you at a hearing.
Where can I get more help
Where can I get more help
Equality Advisory and Support Service: Provides information, advice, and support on discrimination issues. It replaces the Equality and Human Rights Commission helpline.
Home | Disability Law Service : May be able to provide free legal advice to disabled people and representation where appropriate
Research into Speech Apraxia
Our Experience
Are you conducting or have you completed research on Speech Apraxia that’s currently gathering dust on a shelf? Whether it’s for a degree, MSc, or PhD, we invite you to share it with Speech Apraxia UK.
Send your research to info@speechapraxia.co.uk, and we will feature it on our website for FREE if it’s unfunded, or for a small fee if funded. This is a great way to save thousands in journal Rfees while ensuring your work reaches the community that needs it most.
Speech Apraxia UK is the only organisation dedicated to supporting adults with speech apraxia. With over 4,000 visitors to our site each month from over 25 countries, we’d love to showcase your valuable contribution and help advance knowledge in this field.
RCSLT position paper Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Childhood Apraxia of speech - Developmental verbal dyspraxia of speech
Fantastic resource released in 2024 by the British Royal College of Speech and Language therapists outlining main Childhood Apraxia of speech / developmental verbal dyspraxia.
Disclaimer
While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information on this website (www.speechapraxia.co.uk), the content is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. #apraxia #speechapraxia #childhoodapraxiaofspeech #Childhoodapraxiaofspeech #Developmentalverbaldyspraxia #CAS #Acquired