From a young age, we’re all told we all have our strengths and weaknesses. At that age, that gave me the impression my speech disorder was a weakness. I would grow up to reach the self-realization that this wasn’t true. However, we live in a society where we apologize for speech errors, regardless if you have a speech disorder or not.
I’m not apologizing for my Apraxia.
I use to apologize for my speech disorder constantly, and at times I still find myself doing so. I’ve spoken out a lot about this, but it’s something we have to be mindful of not to apologize for.
Why is this important?
When we apologize for speech, we are giving our brains the impression our speech is an inconvenience; that our speaking is something to be sorry for. It’s crucial for not only people with speech disorders not to do this but for parents of children with speech disorders as well. We want to raise kids with speech differences to own and embrace their speech, not hide or apologize for it.
What can we say instead?
Something I’ve found to say instead of sorry is, “I have a speech disorder, thanks for your patience” because I own it while acknowledging I need the other person’s patience. Speaking isn’t the easiest for me, and I do appreciate anybody’s patience they have with me. We can all learn how to have more patience and understanding with one another.
Never apologize for your speech disability.
You or your child’s speech disability is something you should never apologize for. We should never say sorry for the parts of us who have contributed to who we are today. In a world full of perfectionists and people pleasers, dare to be unapologetically yourself and own your story.