Those familiar with my story know that I missed apraxia in Ashlynn because I was convinced she had CP (cerebral palsy). She had a significant birth history and had to be pulled out via C-section and all of her motor milestones were late. Tummy time was a nightmare. I was always so stressed about it because she literally seemed like she was suffocating and couldn’t pull herself up for air.
My dearest Ashlynn, Your courage amazes me daily. It inspires me and pushes me beyond any limit real or imagined. Today was your first day of 3rd grade. You have been waiting for this day since the last day of 2nd grade. Actually, quite possibly since the first day of 2nd grade when you told me,“After 2nd grade you I will be in 3rd grade!” I emphatically responded, “We need
Executive functioning (EF) deficits are a common comorbidity with a variety of conditions including: ADHD, OCD, ID and others just to name a few.
Visuals are AMAZINGLY helpful for children with EF dysfunction. The problem is, most teaching involves auditory input. The teacher (or parent) talks, children listen, and learning takes place. For kids like my daughter, who have a language processing impairment, the teacher (or parent) talking is basically the equivalent to the teacher in the Peanuts comic series. All the children hear are “wah wah, wah wah wah wah.”
The challenge today for apraxia awareness month was to recognize a teacher making a difference.
Parents of children with special needs have to be the CEO, and there is LOT to manage.
I often think about what would have happened had it been me who had apraxia, dyspraxia, SPD, dysarthria, and a learning disability when I was young. It’s pointless I know, but I was/am a perfectionist. That’s not a good thing. I learned early I was really good at spelling, reading and writing, but math I had to work for. I won a math award in 3rd grade and I looked