Having an Apraxia Sister is Hard.
We are in the middle of a pandemic called COVID 19.
History books will write of it, and you will have remembered living it.
The Corona Virus – or COVID 19 put the world to a stand still. Never before in the history of my lifetime or even your grandparents lifetime had the world come to a stop as it did in 2020.
Everything you could imagine was cancelled.
Basketball. Swimming. School. Church!! When I was a child church was never cancelled. It was a phenomenon never before seen.
You’re Aunt Kris is a certified teacher and we were beyond blessed to have her teach you while me and daddy worked. I had a schedule full of remedial skills to ensure you wouldn’t regress; however Kris tweeked the schedule and provided quality instruction that helped you learn.
Even so…in the midst of it, you and Ashlynn were rough housing. I told you to stop multiple times as I was worried someone would get hurt. On this particular day you two were rough housing normally but Ashlynn ended up flipped over from the couch slamming her head on the tile. After telling you two calmly and numerously to not fight my patience flew out the window and I snapped at Jace, “What is wrong with you??? Go to your room!!”
As he ran to his room he cried, “I’m sorry Ashlynn!.”
Ashlynn was wailing. I was scared. She doesn’t cry over physical pain. She doesn’t. For her to be crying I was extra worried she was even extra hurt.
“Having an apraxia sister is hard.”
He didn’t say it with contempt. He didn’t say it with anger. He said it matter of fact with a tinge of sadness. I asked him what was hard about it. He hung his head and said,
Everything.
I didn’t know what to do but to validate him and hug him. I told him I knew it was hard, and I was sorry. It’s hard for her too having all of her disabilities. It’s hard on me too. But this family does hard things.
And that was that. He left and went back to playing. Playing with HER. He’s a good kid my Jace.
Laura Smith, M.A. CCC-SLP is a 2014 graduate of Apraxia Kids Boot Camp, has completed the PROMPT Level 1 training, and the Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol (K-SLP). She is the author of Overcoming Apraxia and has lectured throughout the United States on CAS and related issues. Currently, Laura is a practicing SLP specializing in apraxia at her clinic A Mile High Speech Therapy in Aurora, Colorado.