Insurance companies do not currently consider Apraxia as a covered disorder for speech therapy. This is due to many experts stating this is a developmental delay that will resolve on its own.

Some of you may have heard apraxia called other names such as dyspraxia, motor planning disorder of speech, verbal apraxia, and/or oral apraxia.  

My son is living proof that Apraxia is not developmental; instead, children are born with this neurological disorder. At three years old he had a speech intelligibility of under 30%. Today, he is over 90% speech intelligible and loves to talk. While my family and I are fortunate to afford to provide our son with the required speech therapy, many families are unable to obtain this necessary therapy for children to become successful adults.

Why should we as parents pay for an insurance plan regulated by “experts” not familiar with this disorder using a technicality to deny millions of families this benefit?

My proposed solution is to require insurance companies to provide coverage for Apraxia. Not only will this reduce the number of appeals caregivers need to submit to insurance companies wasting the caregivers' precious time away from their children, it also could reduce underwriters workloads. This proposal has the potential to increase their bottom line while also putting more money in the caregivers' pockets to continue to improve our economic conditions.

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) is an advocate of apraxia and other communication disorders. Visit NIDCD for additional details on communication disorders and how you can help NIDCD.

Apraxia is considered a rare disorder. For additional details on apraxia and other rare disorders, visit RareDiseases.org.