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.”
This after I explained dyspraxia and her difficulties with balance and coordination and my concerns for her safety and ability to follow directions if bumped out of the raft.
It goes without saying that all my babies are amazing and wonderful! It’s true. When I delivered my 3rd child, I didn’t know it at the time, but I had just given birth to a star! A shining STAR! I know, I know, every woman believes her child is a star! But the kind of star I am talking is pretty special. My son Mark was born with Childhood Apraxia of
I’ve been down lately. Really, really down. It pretty much started at Ashlynn’s re-evaluation meeting and went downhill from there. For all the work she’s done, for how far she has come, for what she knows in the face of so many challenges, it was like a slap in the face. It’s really not anyone’s fault. It’s just the way it is. I’m dealing with mixed expressive/receptive language issues now.