I have apraxia of speech. I’ve participated in the Walk for Apraxia in-person and virtually during COVID. My mom has been a speaker at the National Conference in the past!

I was diagnosed by an SLP when I was just three years old! I was born with hearing loss, as well. It took a while for my parents to learn that my speech issues had nothing to do with my hearing loss. They were totally separate. One did not affect the other. I got hearing aids when I was just 10 months old. I got a talker when I was just five. I also have an FM system that I bring to school, as well. My mom jokes that she sends me to school with thousands of dollars of technology. It’s so funny. I am always really careful to bring everything home each weekday.

Learning how to use my talker (AAC) was hard. When I was 12, I made the decision only to use it in the classroom to help me interact. I decided not to use it when I was partaking in leisure activities with friends because my verbal speech was coming along. My biggest challenge is reading. It’s hard to read when you have issues pronouncing words. If you can’t say a word, it’s also hard to remember how to spell it. I practice words that are hard over and over again. Eventually my tongue and teeth and jaw know what to do.

One of my greatest accomplishments was learning how to speak in public. I have given class speeches and I’ve made group presentations in front of my peers. I was nervous, but I got through it.

The message of hope that I would like to share is that your friends will be your friends no matter what. My good pals know that it’s sometimes hard for me to talk so we invented really cool secret handshakes. It’s so fun to do them in the schoolyard. My friends have always supported me and have always treated me like anyone else.

Apraxia impacts my everyday life because I’ve worked very hard to be able to talk in social situations like at recess. I get nervous sometimes, but I just try as best I can to hang out with my friends. I think going to camp has helped because during the summer I work on my speech with my bunk mates. I work hard to perfect certain words and phrases, that way, I am good to go when September comes around. My mom has advocated for a special ESY program every summer that meets my needs. No summer slide here!

Advice I would give is simple. Just because I don’t say it, doesn’t mean I don’t know it. Always assume that kids with apraxia are smart – because they are! Find creative ways to do checks for understanding and you’ll see that there are many ways to communicate like pointing to the right answer instead of saying the answer. Make sure your school-based SLP is in cahoots with your teachers so that certain words can be targets or practice words like photosynthesis. That’s a tricky one, right?

Last, I want to say, that with tons of speech therapy and social interaction, it does get better. My confidence is much better now and I’m not afraid to enter a conversation or start a conversation. I’ve really come a long way with the help and support of what my mom calls a village.

YOU’RE INVITED – May 6, 2023, at 10:45 a.m. EST.

I would like to take this opportunity to invite EVERYONE to my Bar Mitzvah which will be streaming live at: https://rodephshalom.org/livestream/. You can do this on Saturday, May 6, 2023 at 10:45 a.m. EST. Once there, you can find links to digital copies of the prayer book, my special program book, as well instructions on adding to the chat.

“I Have A Voice” is the theme of my Bar Mitzvah service because my voice can change the world.  Let this YouTube video inspire you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC6dk9Ch6vs

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