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
Ashlynn has always given us “papers” with her scribbles on them. She constantly surrounds herself with papers and pens. As impressed as I am with her always working hard, the paper obsession drives me mad. I have papers all around my house! They are treasures to her though, and you never want to refuse a gift from a child. Ashlynn has a Great Grandma Green who visits periodically and stays
Anxiety as a special needs parent of Childhood Apraxia of Speech feels like…… It’s my fault. Endless intrusive thoughts wondering what caused it, and despite coming up empty, still feeling like somehow it must have been something you did. I’m not doing enough. Despite working tirelessly and endlessly for your child, you will continue to see her struggle, and it feels like you have missed something; and the enormity of
This is what Ashlynn has said to me twice today. It’s rather timely since I just wrote about a post about letting our kids know they have apraxia so they have a name for the problems they experience. Ashlynn (I thought) has known she has apraxia, but I realized I said it a lot when we were still just trying to get her words out and her sounds right, but
I always talk about emotional intelligence, and I really wish it was talked about or even acknowledged at IEP meetings because it’s a real thing and people with it make this world a better place.
I see a question that gets asked a lot. In fact, I asked it myself. It usually goes something along the lines of, “Did you tell your child they had apraxia? If you did, how did you say it? What did you say?” I remember thinking when I first saw this question that I wouldn’t tell Ashlynn until way later….and then…maybe if she still seemed apraxic, I would tell her.