Two worlds of influence colliding with significant purpose, Bjorem & Bolles Childhood Apraxia Education Initiative was founded by Garett Bolles, left tackle with the Denver Broncos, and Jennie Bjorem, M.A., CCC-SLP, to empower speech-language pathologists and give a voice to children with childhood apraxia of speech.
Jennie has been a speech-language pathologist (SLP) for 27 years. With her specialty in childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), she began treating Garett’s son, Kingston, five years ago.
Jennie presents all over the world to educate SLPs and create a pathway to assess, diagnose, and treat children with CAS. Also acclaimed, her speech therapy publishing company, Bjorem Publications (a Parker-based company), won the Colorado Companies to Watch Award for 2026. Her passion to educate and create a global network of SLP's, along with Garett’s heart to bring better awareness, is building a community of access and hope for those in need.
We asked Garett to share his and Kingston’s story along with their goals and encouragement moving forward.
Garett, can you please share about your and Kingston’s story?
Kingston has been one of the greatest blessings in my life. Like any parent, you dream about all the things your child will experience. When he was diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech, our world changed. We quickly realized this wasn’t something that would simply resolve with time. It would take countless hours of therapy, incredible specialists, and a lot of faith.
Watching Kingston work through something that most people take for granted, being able to communicate, has taught our entire family what courage, perseverance, and resilience really look like. Every new word, every conversation, and every milestone has been hard-earned.
Through this journey, we were introduced to Jennie Bjorem, whose passion and expertise have changed Kingston’s life. She didn’t just help him find his voice. She gave our family hope. Today Kingston continues to make incredible progress. We’re so proud of the young man he is becoming. His journey has inspired us to make sure more families have access to the education, resources, and support they need.
What made you begin the Bjorem & Bolles Childhood Apraxia Education Initiative?
After seeing firsthand how life-changing the right therapy can be, I knew we couldn’t keep that blessing to ourselves. We also learned there simply aren’t enough SLP’s who have specialized training to treat Childhood Apraxia of Speech.
Jennie had already built an amazing foundation of knowledge, and together we realized we could make an even bigger impact by helping train more clinicians. That’s how the Bjorem & Bolles Childhood Apraxia Education Initiative was born.
Our goal isn’t just to help one child. It’s to help thousands. By providing world-class education to speech-language pathologists, we can improve the lives of children and families across the country. Every child deserves the opportunity to find their voice, and every family deserves hope.
What is yours and Kingston’s encouragement to our community in Parker?
If there’s one thing we’d want people to know, it’s this: It doesn’t matter how you start. It matters how you finish.
If you’re a parent walking through a difficult diagnosis, know that you’re not alone. There are people who care, there are resources available, and there is always hope. Progress may not happen overnight, but every small step forward matters.
Kingston would tell other kids that it’s okay to be different. Your challenges don’t define you. They help shape your strength. Keep working, keep believing in yourself, and never stop finding your voice.
To the Parker community, thank you for supporting families and organizations that invest in children. When a community comes together to lift others up, incredible things happen. We hope Kingston’s story reminds people that no matter where life begins or what obstacles stand in your way, your story is still being written. It doesn’t matter how you start. It matters how you finish.
Jennie also encourages, “I think it's really important for parents to help educate their children who may not have speech and language differences on how to interact with those kids. Encouraging parents to help educate their children on all kinds of learning differences that kids have, from autism to dyslexia, even ADHD or language differences. If parents can talk positively about those things and open communication so that their children learn to become more accepting of individual differences, that’s probably the best thing that parents can do.”
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Jennie Bjorem, whose passion and expertise have changed Kingston’s life. She didn’t just help him find his voice. She gave our family hope.
Watching Kingston work through something that most people take for granted, being able to communicate, has taught our entire family what courage, perseverance, and resilience really look like. Every new word, every conversation, and every milestone has been hard-earned.