If your child is minimally verbal or non-speaking, there's a question that almost nobody in the system will ask — and it might be the most important one of all. Could it be apraxia?

In this episode, we speaks with New York-based speech-language pathologist Alonna Bondar, who has spent 25 years specialising in childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) — a motor planning disorder that research suggests may affect up to two thirds of autistic children, yet remains almost entirely absent from mainstream speech therapy practice, particularly in the UK.

Alonna breaks down what apraxia actually is, why it's so routinely missed, and why years of traditional language-based therapy can fail children who need motor speech intervention instead. She also explains the difference between approaches like PROMPT, DTTC, and the REST programme, how to find the right therapist, what parents can do at home, and why AAC should never be a last resort.

If your child has ever seemed to "pop out" a word or phrase and then never said it again, this episode is essential listening.

Topics covered:

• What childhood apraxia of speech is and how it differs from language delay
• Why autistic children are excluded from most CAS research — and what that means for diagnosis
• "Ghost words" and gestalt language processing
• Why telling a child to "just say it" can cause more harm than good
• PROMPT, DTTC, REST — what they are and which children they suit
• Why oral motor tools like whistles and vibrating devices won't help
• The state of apraxia awareness in the UK vs the US
• How to access Alonna's consultations, courses, and parent coaching