Dorothy Bechtold, a student at Miles Elementary, and her family are passionate about spreading awareness about apraxia of speech. 

Apraxia of Speech is a motor planning speech disorder. With Apraxia of Speech, the child knows what they want to say, but unlike children who do not have this speech disorder, their brain does not innately tell their mouth the precise movements required to say it. They must learn these movements via frequent and intensive speech therapy. It is considered a rare disorder, with only one or two of every 1,000 children diagnosed.

“It is my hope that by spreading awareness, our journey may get a little easier with each passing year. That, maybe, it makes the journey easier for the next child,” said Dawn Bechtold, Dorothy’s mother. “That the next time a parent receives an Apraxia diagnosis for their child, they aren’t overwhelmed by the unknown, because they know that everything will be okay. That they are not alone in this journey.”

On, May 14, Apraxia Awareness Day, Dorothy — along with many Miles Elementary staff members and students — wore blue in honor of Apraxia Awareness.

“Teachers love to teach, but we also love to learn,” said Ms. Lauren Parker, Family Resource Coordinator at Miles. “Dorothy and her family have taught us so much about apraxia.” 

To learn more, check out Dawn Bechtold’s piece published by the Northern Kentucky Tribune…