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Speech-Language Pathology faculty and students, including members of the �ڰ�����APP chapter of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) on the Downers Grove Campus took part in several events during the fall focused on education, community service, raising awareness of language development, and preparing the future speech-language pathologists for a variety of situations.

Chicago Walk for Apraxia

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, patients with apraxia have difficulty speaking and executing gestures and movements, despite having the desire and physical ability to carry out these actions. Raising awareness about apraxia resonated on a deeper and personal level for Speech-Language Pathology student and NSSLHA member Kelly Zaksheske (CHS-Downers Grove SLP ’25). “I have three kids, and my youngest son has apraxia. I’ve also had clients with apraxia. I’ve seen the devastating impact it has on someone’s communication. That’s why I wanted to raise as much money as I could for the walk to help everyone that I’ve seen impacted by apraxia, including my own child,” she said. Kelly’s goal was to raise $2,600, and the team exceeded the amount at $3,474. 

Kelly shared a poignant memory from the event with the words of a boy of about 12. “He described that he had a speech-language pathologist work with him for a very long time, and how speaking was hard for him. He was so thankful for his speech-language pathologist that he started crying, and that made everyone else emotional. I wouldn’t have known he had apraxia from the way he communicated,” Kelly emphasized.

Treatment for apraxia is case by case, Kelly discussed. “You have to teach the motor planning aspect of the whole word. If you teach one sound, it does not generalize to all other sounds. You have to teach the person to say the entire word, and longer, multi-syllabic words are harder for someone to produce,” she said. 

Kelly also described something she would like people to know about apraxia. “Just because people with apraxia have difficulty communicating, it does not mean that they don’t understand what you’re saying. They have difficulty saying words, may gesture, and the words that come out of their mouth might not sound accurate. Some people may perceive them as not comprehending what someone is saying, and that's not true.”

Aphasia and Stroke Awareness Event

About 100 people attended the Aphasia and Stroke Awareness evening event at the Multispecialty Clinic to learn more about aphasia and stroke. The interdisciplinary approach involved students from several healthcare fields of study addressing stroke and aphasia, a language disorder that occurs due to damage to parts of the brain that process various aspects of language and communication. Judith Ball, M.S., CCC-SLP, Clinical Associate Professor, Speech-Language Pathology Program, stated the event, “helps students who present to learn more about interprofessional collaboration.” She also encouraged the students to make their sessions interactive with the attendees. The students gave presentations about how their disciplines affect patients with aphasia and stroke. Chicago College of Optometry (CCO) students Lauren Delisi (CCO ’25) and Luma Mallah (CCO ’25) gave information about vision after a stroke. Clinical Psychology students Amir Chhatriwala, M.A. (CHS-Downers Grove Clin Psych ’27), and Maria De Leon-Sanchez, M.A. (CHS-Downers Grove Clin Psych ’27), informed attendees about mental health awareness with