Why Speech Apraxia Is Still Overlooked: Training Gaps, Bias, and Breaking Into the Profession-Ruth Rowntree

In this episode, Ruth Rowntree interviewed by Libby Hall, takes a clear-eyed look at why speech apraxia remains so poorly understood within speech and language therapy. She examines the persistent gaps in university training, the limited exposure many clinicians have to apraxia in practice, and the consequences this has for diagnosis, confidence, and care.Ruth also speaks candidly about the often unspoken barriers faced by people entering the SLT profession with a speech difference. Drawing on lived experience and professional insight, she challenges assumptions about competence, communication, and credibility, and makes the case for a profession that better reflects the diversity of the people it serves.This is a thoughtful, uncompromising conversation about education, bias, and what needs to change if speech and language therapy is to truly understand and include speech apraxia.