Apraxia Awareness Day 2016

Saturday was Apraxia Awareness Day. We take the day to wear our shirts and talk about Addie. To raise awareness for this condition that we never knew anything about until she was diagnosed with it when she was 5!

Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder. Children with CAS have problems saying sounds, syllables, and words. This is not because of muscle weakness or paralysis. The brain has problems planning to move the body parts (e.g., lips, jaw, tongue) needed for speech. The child knows what he or she wants to say, but his/her brain has difficulty coordinating the muscle movements necessary to say those words.

This kid of mine is a little overcomer and has come SO far this last year! A year ago she was barely writing (her apraxia extends to all muscles, not just specifically speech, which is actually called dyspraxia in this case), and this year she is doing spelling words. Huge!! She has come out of her shell at school and I hear from so many teachers at school how they love that she is TALKING to them. Her words are coming more and more everyday and while she isn't easily understood, I understand the majority of what she says and so do the people that are closest to her. I still can't have a full on conversation with her. She still isn't able to form enough words to tell me ALL about her day or to really verbalize what is wrong (and some days it breaks my heart a little) BUT the words are coming and I know one day they will ALL come. I am standing firm and believing one day this will all be a testimony she can use to glorify God and touch others lives. She is so special and is the happiest, most loving kid you will ever meet. I am so blessed to get to have a front row seat to her little life.

If you want to find out more about apraxia, you can read about it here.

Thanks for stopping by today! I'll be back tomorrow for my Friday Favorites!

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