SLP Mommy of Apraxia

Tag: preschool

  • Speech with simple magnet clips

     

     

     

    If your child has a speech delay, your SLP will most likely tell you that you need to create opportunities so your child HAS to communicate to you what he/she wants.

    I found these cheap magnet clips for the fridge at the dollar store!  You can take pictures of items in your fridge, and then clip them to the outside.  Depending on your child’s level, you can have them hand you the picture (don’t just let them point!), or try to vocalize what they want.  These are pictures  I had made for my daughter when she was nonverbal.

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    Now that my daughter is 5, we are still dealing with residual language issues.  This includes sequencing basic picture cards.  She loves the magnets to easily rearrange the pictures on the fridge!

     

     

     

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    The possibilities won’t end here!  I plan to use these again for when she starts decoding words and spelling with letters!

     

     

  • Last year of Pre-K

    Last year of Pre-K

    Today was Ashlynn’s official first day to her last year of preschool.  It was also two years ago today I heard the words, “Laura, this is apraxia.”                                                                                                   I’ll never forget that.  It was like hearing something for the first time you don’t want to believe, but that you instantly know to be true.                                                                                                                   Apraxia.  Apraxia.  No.  Not my baby.  Why apraxia? That one word brought forth all sorts of things in my brain.  Speech will be a struggle.  Learning to talk will be a struggle.  She will have to have a lot of therapy and she will have to work for every sound, every word, and then every sentence.                                                                                    I texted a colleague.                                                                                                                          “She has apraxia and I’m devastated.”                                                                                                     I cried. My little social butterfly whose favorite word was “HI” would have to fight to be able to talk.  She would have to earn her right to do the ONE thing that brought her joy: To be social and speak to others.
    It was a hard pill to swallow.  I remember I put her in her car seat, and as I leaned over to hug her I cried.  She smiled and asked me, “hi?”  I cried some more.        
    Her first week of school though was nothing short of amazing.  She qualified for free preschool in a special needs classroom due to her needs.  You can read about that here. First week of Pre-K
    Her second year of preschool brought even more exciting developments.
    Today she was sooo excited for school.  When she came home, she wasn’t able to really tell me WHAT she did, but it typical Ashlynn style, she could tell me WHO she played. with.  There was Mia and Carly, her teachers Kubra and Donna.  I’m excited, hopeful, and maybe a little nervous.  This IS her year to catch up. I’m doing everything I can as her mom.  She’s in private speech and OT, she’s still getting private swim lessons since swimming has been amazing for helping with her bilateral coordination, we’re doing sensory and OT/PT activities at home, and of course the speech she always gets from me.  
    We sure have come along way from that day in the car that I cried, and from that text message that said I was devastated.  Our ENTIRE family is different now, and we’re all better for it. 
    So bring it on school year 2014/2015!  We’re going to give it all we got!