Nancy Kaufman was honored for her many years as a member of the Apraxia Kids’ Professional Advisory Council at the 2018 National Conference on Childhood Apraxia of Speech on July 13.

It was a complete surprise and she was extremely pleased to be recognized by her peers in a ballroom filled with parents, caregivers, speech-language pathologists, and other esteemed colleagues in attendance.

Nancy was thrilled to have the opportunity to present on a panel detailing CAS treatment methods, a panel on cueing techniques, and with her colleague and friend Kerry Peterson on establishing speech-motor skills for children with ASD and CAS. 

With David Hammer, fellow SLP and VP of programming for Apraxia Kids

With Jill Eversmann and Jennie Bjorem

With Amy Clark, Dee Fish, and Ruth Stoeckel

Presenting on the Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol (K-SLP)

With Kerry Peterson, the KCC's director of autism programs

Photos from Gordy and Sanders' trip to the KCC

Gordy and Sanders visited the KCC in the spring of 2018

Sanders and Gordy with Nancy Kaufman

Gordy observes Nancy’s session with a child she is currently working with

Here are some details on current and future goings-on for parents, colleagues, and friends of the KCC!

Dear Friends,

I have recently made the decision to step aside from the Professional Advisory Council of Apraxia Kids. Having served on the PAC for 10 years, and with a new executive director and many changes to the organization, it felt like the right time to make way for a new generation of speech-language pathologists.

Though I am no longer a member of the PAC, I will continue to participate with Apraxia Kids! In fact, I look forward to presenting at the 2018 National Conference on CAS in Charlotte, North Carolina. My presentations/panels are all on Friday, July 13, to include:

♦ Strategies in the Treatment of CAS: An Overview of Various Methodologies
(a panel with Amy Clark, Margaret Fish, David Hammer, and Ruth Stoeckel)

♦ Cueing Strategies: Decision Making and Implementation for Children with CAS
(a panel with Jennie Bjorem, Jill Eversmann, and David Hammer)

♦ Establishing Speech Motor Skills for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and CAS
(a full session with the KCC’s Kerry Peterson, MA, CCC-SLP, BCBA)

I hope to see you there!

I am excited to dedicate my time to continuously hone the Kaufman Speech to Language (K-SLP) methods, and focus on materials that will assist SLPs and parents/caregivers to help their children to become effective vocal communicators. I will also continue to:

♦ Work directly in evaluating and treating children with CAS and those who struggle to speak due to other speech motor conditions.

♦ Present all-day conferences through Northern Speech Services and for invitational conferences.

♦ Consult on the K-SLP methods with private clinics, schools, and hospital settings.

♦ Offer video consultations and four-day SPEAK intensive programs for children who live out of state or country.

♦ Have the privilege to mentor and collaborate with the KCC team, the most amazing group of professionals with which I could ever hope to work.

Working collaboratively with families and SLPs will forever be my passion!

We have opened a second facility right next door to the Kaufman Children’s Center, known as “K2.” The new building gives us the chance to focus on our applied behavior analysis (ABA) programs, implementing what we know best about speech-motor skills, especially for those with autism spectrum disorders who are minimally vocal. Our ABA program director is Kerry Peterson, who is both a speech-language pathologist and a board-certified behavior analyst.

With our current expansion into two buildings, our staff of more than 60 speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, board-certified behavior analysts, ABA techs, and support staff work together as a team on behalf of children with speech, language, sensory motor and social language challenges.

So grateful to do the things I love most! Feel free to contact me anytime by e-mail or phone (248-737-3430). I love to talk!

Sincerely,
Nancy

Nancy has been a speech-language pathologist for 35 years but started her private practice in a rented office space in her hometown of West Bloomfield with only an answering machine for support. In the 23 years since, the Kaufman Children’s Center has grown to include over 40 staff members who provide the finest in speech, language, occupational therapy, sensory integration, social skills, and autism treatment programs.

What was once the smallest of private practices has evolved into a full-service, award-winning pediatric clinic for children with special needs. One thing has stayed the same: West Bloomfield is still the base of operations, although success necessitated a move from the rented office space to a beautiful 11,000-square foot building on Daly Road.

A worldwide leader in treatment of childhood apraxia of speech, Nancy welcomes approximately 100 families a year from almost every state and other countries – Ireland, Switzerland, Australia, and Sweden, among many others – for week-long programs. Families often opt to return for longer summer sessions, and a few have actually moved to the area to maximize continued progress.

Nancy has made West Bloomfield and the metro Detroit area the must-visit destination for families of children with apraxia of speech and other speech disorders. The combination of positive outcomes and the beautiful environment of West Bloomfield turn those families into enthusiastic ambassadors for the area, spreading the word and encouraging other families to visit.

Nancy received her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and her master’s from Wayne State University, having been awarded a graduate assistantship. She serves on the professional advisory board of the Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America (CASANA), on the board of visitors of Wayne State University’s Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development and is the speech-language pathologist consultant for speech centers in Texas and New Jersey.

Nancy is the recipient of the 2010 Outstanding Alumni Award from MSU’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences as well as the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s 2011 Distinguished Service Award. The Kaufman Children’s Center also received MSHA’s Outstanding Clinical Practice award in 2001.

Nancy and her husband Joel reside in West Bloomfield and raised their three children – Shelby, Carly, and Jacob – in West Bloomfield’s public school system.