There’s been a big misconception that Apraxia is only in childhood; however, this isn’t the case. I would feel wrong if I contributed to this misconception and didn’t tell the truth; this is not saying you can’t make significant progress while having Apraxia. However, using the term outgrow takes away all the hard work these people have to put into Speech Therapy to gain their voice.
What does Verbal Apraxia (CAS) require?
Verbal Apraxia (CAS) requires intensive, frequent speech therapy; this is the only research evidence method, so it’s crucial. Speech therapy isn’t something parents are overreacting to when they say their child needs it. If this were your child— you would understand.
I thought I would outgrow Apraxia.
I grew up thinking I would outgrow Apraxia. There was little to no information about Apraxia, especially what it looks like in the teenage years and adult years of the person’s life. I mistook the term childhood Apraxia of speech, thinking it meant that it was only present in childhood. However, this is not the case. Tons of teenagers and adults live with Verbal Apraxia but are afraid to speak out about it. Because they also thought that they would outgrow it; this is heartbreaking to me as an advocate because when these people reach out to me, I have to reassure them that there’s nothing wrong with them, and there’s nothing that they did wrong; they just have Apraxia.
Parents, please don’t fear.
Many parents fear when they hear that childhood Apraxia of speech, also known as Verbal Apraxia, is a lifelong disorder that represents itself differently throughout the person’s lifespan span. However, this isn’t saying about children, teenagers, and adults will not make fantastic progress with research evidence practices. Your child is so much more than a diagnosis label.
Final note.
With that said, it’s time for the apraxia community to accept people of all ages with Apraxia. We need to acknowledge this isn’t just present in childhood. As a community and a tribe, we can make this space more inclusive for everybody; leaving teenagers and adults out of the picture isn’t being inclusive. When your child gets older, I want to make sure that they have a loving, supporting, caring, and accepting community ready for them with open arms.