WHEREAS, May 14th marks Apraxia Awareness Day, established to raise awareness about childhood apraxia of speech, a challenging speech disorder that affects one in a thousand children across our Commonwealth and nationwide; and 

WHEREAS, childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) causes children to have significant difficulty learning to speak and is among the most severe speech deficits in children; and 

WHEREAS, while the act of learning to speak comes effortlessly to most children, those with apraxia require early, appropriate, and intensive speech therapy, often for many years, to learn to speak; and 

WHEREAS, without appropriate speech therapy intervention, children with apraxia will have diminished communication skills, and are placed at high risk for secondary impacts in reading, writing, spelling, and other school-related skills; and 

WHEREAS, these impacts diminish future independence and employment opportunities and can create challenges for those with apraxia to become productive citizens if not resolved or improved; and 

WHEREAS, public awareness about childhood apraxia of speech in Virginia is essential for families of children with this neurological disorder and the professionals who support them to achieve the needed services for those learning to use their own voice; and 

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia encourages increased public awareness about childhood apraxia of speech among community members, education professionals, policy makers, and elected officials; 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Abigail D. Spanberger, do hereby recognize May 14, 2026, as APRAXIA AWARENESS DAY in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.