| I will never forget the way I felt when I found out that | | | | through the state, since that was all I felt I could do at |
| my three year old son had apraxia. Relief! Yes, that's | | | | the time. |
| right, I was relieved to find that my son's severe | | | | By age three, he was able to say "Mama" and "Dada", |
| speech delay had a name and I had something to hold | | | | and would also say "no" and "wawa" for water. He |
| on to in order to research what I did not know. | | | | didn't sing, though he would dance to music, and he |
| When my son was only 10 months old, I knew | | | | enjoyed it. He was a great kid, with an easy going |
| something wasn't right. He would smile and interact, | | | | temperament and he didn't notice that people couldn't |
| and his motor development was on track (he was | | | | understand him. I admired his innocence and |
| crawling and grasping), but he wouldn't imitate or | | | | obliviousness to his speech delay. But I worried that |
| babble. Since I had a daughter that said her first word | | | | children would make fun of him, that he would do okay |
| at 7 months, and was reciting the ABC's by a year old, | | | | in school, and if he would be able to communicate one |
| I thought maybe he was delayed, but wasn't sure. | | | | day. |
| People told me that he would grow out of it and he | | | | Once he was registered in Priority Preschool |
| was too young to come to any conclusions. I knew in | | | | (preschool for kids with special needs in Arizona), I met |
| my gut that I needed to at least look into it. I asked the | | | | with his speech therapist, and she told me that she |
| pediatrician at his one year appointment, and she | | | | was using therapy that she used with kids with |
| referred me to a speech therapist to appease me, | | | | Apraxia. What? I had never heard that term before. |
| since I was so concerned. | | | | The therapist sifted through his paperwork and asked |
| The speech therapist definitely said he had a speech | | | | if he had ever been diagnosed or profiled for apraxia? |
| delay and referred me to the state program, which | | | | Nope! |
| was such a blessing for support and resources, but still | | | | When I got home, I ran to the computer and Googled |
| didn't have a "name" or "label" for my son't speech | | | | "apraxia". Voila! I devoured every word, and thought, |
| delay. By fifteen months, I had a developmentalist | | | | "That's my son! That's what he has!" I didn't need a |
| coming to my house once a week to see him, and I | | | | "diagnosis" from anyone, I knew this was what we |
| was involved in a playgroup for children who had | | | | were dealing with. |
| different kinds of delays, whether it was speech, | | | | I spent hours researching apraxia, and found support |
| motor skills, or the child who had a form of autism. It | | | | groups, and even a conference to go to. I immersed |
| was great to talk with other moms, but I still didn't have | | | | myself in finding out as much information as possible. I |
| any answers, they would just say he had a severe | | | | learned that I needed to get my son private speech |
| speech delay. | | | | therapy as soon as possible, and continue his therapy |
| He wasn't eligible for State funded speech therapy until | | | | at home as well. By the time my son was four and a |
| he turned two, and he still was not pronouncing any | | | | half, he was over 85% intelligible, meaning that a |
| syllables. I yearned for him to say "Mama", but all I | | | | person could understand 85% of what he said. |
| could get was a grunt or a sign with his hands. (Sign | | | | He went through kindergarten with no problems in |
| language was enforced during therapy and playgroup, | | | | reading and writing, and speaking quite well. Though he |
| so we had a lot of the basics down which eased | | | | was not at the level of most kindergarteners for |
| some of his (and my) frustration.) Finally, with speech | | | | speech, he was improving. At the end of the year, |
| therapy once a week, he was getting some help with | | | | when the speech therapist, couselor, teacher and I met |
| his speech, though progress was agonizingly slow. | | | | to discuss his therapy and progress, they told me that |
| At the end of every session, I would ask, "What's | | | | he is doing very well and that his therapy would |
| wrong? Why isn't he making progress? Is there | | | | continue and they expect him to not need it after next |
| something else going on?" No one had an answer, not | | | | year. I couldn't help but cry. |
| a label, possible diagnosis, nothing. They would tell me | | | | Now, my son is a thriving first grader who has friends, |
| that he was normal in every way, except that he had | | | | is involved in sports and fights with his sister like any |
| a "severe speech delay". I felt so isolated, because | | | | kid his age. I am so proud of how hard he has worked, |
| people didn't understand and continued to tell me that | | | | and glad that I didn't give up! |
| he will grow out of it. I continued on with his therapy | | | | |