How speech and debate helped a Tulsa teen overcome childhood apraxia

When Jackson Ballinger stepped up to the debate podium for the first time, he wasn’t just nervous about winning; he was working against something much bigger: his own speech.

The Tulsa teen was diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech, a motor disorder that makes it difficult to form words.

“Starting out it was a lot more prevalent,” Jackson Ballinger said. “As I got into faster debates, it was still an issue, but I was able to find ways to adapt to it.”

A Brother’s Help and a Lifelong Skill

Jackson’s journey into debate started thanks to his older brother, Lucas. A seasoned debater, Lucas needed a partner for an upcoming tournament. Jackson agreed to step in.

“I thought it was great,” Lucas Ballinger said. “Every time I have told it to other debate people, they’ve always been surprised or talk about how they can never do that, but I think it’s worked really well for us. At points, there were times where it was difficult to balance the brother versus debate partner, but I think always having the option to communicate and having the time to be brothers at debate tournaments to de-stress a little bit, I thought it was nice and especially helpful after rounds.”

What started as a favor turned into a partnership. The brothers competed throughout high school, traveling to tournaments and racking up wins. This year, they were crowned 5A State Policy Debate Champions and advanced to the national quarterfinals in the Urban Debate League.

Finding His Voice

While the trophies piled up, Jackson’s real victory was more personal.

Debating regularly, sometimes for hours at a time, forced him to speak. He developed techniques to help with his apraxia, like listening to music while giving speeches to maintain rhythm and reduce stuttering.

“Since it’s like nerve connection type stuff and so since it’s because of that just the repetitive giving speeches, talking for an hour and a half at a time, really helped me overcome the apraxia,” Jackson Ballinger said.

He no longer needs speech therapy. His apraxia, he says, is resolved.

And through it all, his brother Lucas was right by his side, on the same team.

What’s Next

Lucas just graduated from Edison. Jackson is heading into his senior year. But their debate journey isn’t over. The brothers hope to continue debating together at the University of Oklahoma.