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Advice for Parents of Children with Apraxia of Speech

 

I was so excited when I got a copy of Leslie Lindsay’s book, Speaking of Apraxia: A Parents’ Guide to Childhood Apraxia of Speech.   I am even more excited to have her do a guest post on her perspective as a parent of a child with CAS!   Read on for some great “Speech Rules” for parents and come back tomorrow to hear more about Leslie’s book…

Apraxia: A Parent's perspective 

How Your Child with Apraxia Can Help You Learn

By Leslie Lindsay, R.N., B.S.N.  

I am thrilled to be a guest blogger on Crazy Speech World!  Here I will share with you some insights and tips on how you may give your child the gift of voice through some simple activities you can incorporate on a daily basis. Here goes!

Throughout human history–and long before–kids have been warming their parents’ hearts.  They make them laugh, force them beyond their comfort zone, and give them a surge of pride.   Yet, they can also confuse and baffle.
When my then-2 ½ year old daughter, Kate was given the diagnosis of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), I had little idea what that really meant, or how I might grow into a better parent from all of this.  But I did. Kate taught me many valuable lessons.    Here  are some common speech-language pathology “rules” in regards to CAS—and  why those rules are so important.  But, the ‘best’ message is the one your child may teach you.

“Speech Rule” #1:  Have your child repeat, repeat, repeat! Movement repetitions build strong motor planning/programming/gestures. Can you say that again?

 What your child might teach you:  Patience is the key.  If I don’t repeat the words you just said, don’t give up on me.  I am new to this and need some time to digest the information.

“Speech Rule” #2:  Provide lots of opportunities throughout the day to get your child to talk or vocalize—about anything. Your child will begin to see that communication is indeed a fun part of life.  What color is that dog?  Is the cup big or small?  

 What your child might teach you:  It’s great that you want to work with me and help, but sometimes I get tired.  Sometimes I just want to be quiet.  Give me some down time, too.  And most of all—don’t make me ‘perform’ in front of Grandma and Grandpa or the neighbors.  I’m still pretty self-conscious about my speaking abilities—or lack thereof.  

“Speech Rule” #3:  Be goofy and funny. If you are relaxed and your kiddo is relaxed, words will come easier.  Ask nonsensical questions to elicit a response, give silly options.  

 What your child might teach you:  It’s good to chill-out sometimes, mom and dad.  You take things too seriously sometimes.  I love when we laugh together, we should do it more often.  

“Speech Rule” #4:  Make talking and speech practice more about your lifestyle and less about “sit and speak” time.  In this sense, you “work it in” to your routine.

 What your child might teach you:  I spend enough time in speech and school.  If you make me sit at the dining room table and go over speech words one more time, I might scream.  If you make speech fun and functional then I just might go along with you.  

“Speech Rule” #5:  The more talking feels like work, the less willing your kiddo will be to do it.  

 What your child might teach you:  When you are worried and anxious about my talking, I feel it too.  That doesn’t do either of us any good. Don’t make me ‘work’ for my snack, or something else I want.  If I can’t say it perfectly, don’t stress; but do push me along sometimes.  You’ll know when I’ve had enough.  

“Speech Rule” #6:  Imitation is huge, too. “Can you say what I say?” Try it. If imitation is too hard, try doing it in unison. Remember all of the chanting our grandparents did in school for memorization? Even singing the ABC song is a form of imitation in the form of chanting memorization.

 What your child might teach you:  I like when we sing songs together.  It’s fun and silly and helps me feel confident.  Plus, I think it’s cool when you teach me a new, grown-up word like ‘independent’ or ‘gymnasium.’  It’s fun to try!  

“Speech Rule” #7:  You are mom or dad first. You do not need to become your child’s speech-language pathologist. Kids are smart. They will know what you’re up to and won’t participate if you act too much like their SLP.

 What your child might teach you:  I totally get that you want me to talk more.  But I want more time just to be your little girl/boy. I might really like my speech-language therapist, but don’t worry, mom and dad: YOU are the center of my universe.  

Bio:
Leslie Lindsay is a former child/adolescent psychiatric R.N. at the Mayo Clinic.  Her daughter, Kate is a bright and creative 2nd grader resolving from childhood apraxia of speech (CAS).  It is because of her that Leslie wrote the first book designed for parents on this complex neurologically-based motor speech disorder.  Speaking of Apraxia: A Parent’s Guide to Childhood Apraxia of Speech (Woodbine House, 2012) is as much as labor of love as it is a resource to help others along their apraxia journey.  She lives in Chicagoland with her husband, two daughters, and a basset hound where she writes full-time.  

  • Follow her blog, Practical Parenting…With a Twist! in which she writes 5x/week on apraxia, education, parenting, and the writer’s life.  
  • “Like” her Facebook Page at Speaking of Apraxia: A Parents’ Guide to Childhood Apraxia of Speech
  • Follow her on Twitter

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  1. Terri Iversen says

    at

    I tutor children w/ dyslexia and was asked to workw/ a 6 yr. old girl w/ apraxia! I know nothing about it but I want to learn and encourage my little Annabel w/ success. What a privilege.

My goal is simple. I want to provide you with helpful resources to engage your students in quality & creative therapy sessions

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  • Using open ended activities and games in speech therapy can make planning sessions so much easier! Here are a few suggestions that worked well for me. Do you remember the first time you were faced with a mixed group and were realllllllllly unsure about what to do? I do… picture it, St. Augustine 2007 😅 I was […]
  • Using open ended activities and games in speech therapy can make planning sessions so much easier! Here are a few suggestions that worked well for me. Do you remember the first time you were faced with a mixed group and were realllllllllly unsure about what to do? I do… picture it, St. Augustine 2007 😅 I was […]
  • Using open ended activities and games in speech therapy can make planning sessions so much easier! Here are a few suggestions that worked well for me. Do you remember the first time you were faced with a mixed group and were realllllllllly unsure about what to do? I do… picture it, St. Augustine 2007 😅 I was […]
  • Using open ended activities and games in speech therapy can make planning sessions so much easier! Here are a few suggestions that worked well for me. Do you remember the first time you were faced with a mixed group and were realllllllllly unsure about what to do? I do… picture it, St. Augustine 2007 😅 I was […]
  • Using open ended activities and games in speech therapy can make planning sessions so much easier! Here are a few suggestions that worked well for me. Do you remember the first time you were faced with a mixed group and were realllllllllly unsure about what to do? I do… picture it, St. Augustine 2007 😅 I was […]
  • Using open ended activities and games in speech therapy can make planning sessions so much easier! Here are a few suggestions that worked well for me. Do you remember the first time you were faced with a mixed group and were realllllllllly unsure about what to do? I do… picture it, St. Augustine 2007 😅 I was […]
  • Using open ended activities and games in speech therapy can make planning sessions so much easier! Here are a few suggestions that worked well for me. Do you remember the first time you were faced with a mixed group and were realllllllllly unsure about what to do? I do… picture it, St. Augustine 2007 😅 I was […]
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Meet Blob (NOT Bob)… and I’m here to tell you Meet Blob (NOT Bob)… and I’m here to tell you that you need this one in your therapy sessions.
Blob is a creature that can morph into anything and he does!  But someone keeps calling him Bob instead of by his name, which is frustrating for him. Finally he decides to just be himself, and he also stands up for himself to be called the correct name.
This one has all kinds of important lessons, and I think the name piece is super important for kids. Every child deserves to be called by their name and correctly. It’s a perfect beginning of the year book!
This book would also be great for: 
⚪️perspective taking
⚪️Targeting /b/ or /l/ clusters
⚪️Describing the different things Blob turns into
⚪️Compare and contrast
⚪️Discussing children’s interests and what they can be
⚪️Making decisions
Amazon Affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3LbZDi7
What Will You Be? by Yamile Saied Medez and Kate A What Will You Be? by Yamile Saied Medez and Kate Alizadeh is such a wonderful story about a young girl and her abuela, dreaming about what she will be when she grows up.... Perfect for Grandparents Day 🫶🏻

Here's what I love about it for therapy:
👉🏼Themes of self awareness, being yourself, and interacting with the world around you
👉🏼Some figurative language that allows for deeper discussions with older students on your caseload
👉🏼Present tense verbs, including present progressive
👉🏼Lots of rich Tier 2 vocabulary with strong verbs and nouns (i.e. warrior, march, destined)
👉🏼Whimsical pictures that will engage your kids​
Have you picked this one up yet?
🎓THEY MASTERED IT!! It’s graduation day, so i 🎓THEY MASTERED IT!! It’s graduation day, so it’s the perfect day to break my social media summer break and shout out these amazing new SLPs!!!!

I started this job two years ago, and this cohort started this journey with me. To say I’m proud of them is the biggest understatement of the year. My heart is so full of love for this group of young women and they are going to be AMAZING world changers through their work as SLPs. 

I’ve learned that being a supervisor means a lot more than imparting my wisdom about being an SLP.  Teaching how to navigate life and deal with loss, and how to manage stress and work boundaries are just as important as how to do therapy or write a SOAP note. 

And for Allison… thank you for all that you taught us and continuing to look down on all of us from heaven 🤍

Happy graduation, Class of 24!! I love you all and I can’t wait to see what you do! Go Noles!!
I read 13 books last month and enjoyed every singl I read 13 books last month and enjoyed every single one!! I don’t usually share these in feed but it seems like summer is a good time to share good books 😂 My top 5 for May were…

1.  Mrs. Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler was my absolute favorite. So, so good I couldn’t put it down! 5⭐️

2. When You Left Me Speecless by @authorjesschristine was delicious!! SLP romance that is SO spicy and a fun read by one of our very own. 5⭐️

3.  Idea of You by Robinne Lee was another adorable, spicy read that I tore through in one day. Followed up with the movie featuring Anne Hathaway and *chef’s kiss* 4.5⭐️

4.  The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah was intense and beautiful and made me feel all the things. Kristin Hannah could write a grocery list and I would read it. She is so consistently amazing! 5⭐️

5. Hidden Potential by Adam Grant was a fantastic nonfiction book that I read with some of my coworkers and we all agreed it was a must!  4.5 ⭐️

What have you been reading and loving lately?! Tell me in the comments so I can add it to my list 😍
Happy SLP Day, friends 🩷 YOU deserve all the ce Happy SLP Day, friends 🩷 YOU deserve all the celebration!!
I have the perfect new book for your speech therap I have the perfect new book for your speech therapy sessions::: Meet Floof 🐱 

Floof by Heidi McKinnon is an adorable new book that follows a silly cat that is doing what most cats do… getting into everything and taking naps!

What I love most about this story is the minimal words on each page, with fantastic illustrations that tell a bit of a different story. This is absolutely perfect to get your kids engaged and chatting about all the things they see Floof doing (and target verbs, prepositions, expanding utterances, and about a hundred other skills)

So many speech and language opportunities with this one, it’s a MUST read!  Want the link? Comment “Floof” and I’ll send you right over to Amazon so you can grab your own copy. 

I was provided with a copy of Floof in exchange for a review, but opinions and recommendations are all mine 🤍
Another semester done, another group of amazing wo Another semester done, another group of amazing women steal my heart ❤️ So dang lucky to get to do this work, SO proud of these future SLPs 🫶

Something that has been heavy on my heart lately::: I wish SLPs stop demonizing grad school, it’s such a problem especially on social. There are tons of people, me included, working really hard to make sure these young people have great experiences. Is it hard?  Hell yes. But can it also be amazing? Hell yes.

And if you had a terrible experience, what are you doing to change it for others?  Complaining about it on social is only doing harm to our field… and that’s fresh from the mouths of my students. It makes them anxious and scared and is such a negative influence. 

How about instead, we talk about boundaries and balancing it all, how to have difficult conversations and self advocacy, growth mindsets and overcoming challenges. How about we help prepare them instead of scare them? 

Just a thought 🌸 

Signed a tired clinical supervisor who pours her heart and soul into her grad students 🩷
For 13 years I worked as an SLP in the schools. I For 13 years I worked as an SLP in the schools. I was so happy there, I never thought I would leave… I imagined having a whole happy career in an elementary school and retiring and that would be that. 

But it wasn’t. 

The pandemic hit and I started to drown in that life that I used to love so much. So I left. And everyone said how brave I was, but I was so scared and sad and confused. Without being a school SLP, I didn’t know who I was anymore. How was my identity as a human so wrapped up in my job?  I started questioning whether or not I even wanted to be an SLP anymore. 

But I did. 

I found my way back through opportunity after opportunity. These doors that opened, led me back to my passion for a field I love. And it looks a whole lot different now than I ever imagined.

And that’s good.

We are so lucky to work in a field filled with possibilities. I tell my grad students all the time, you don’t have to pick a path and walk it forever. What works now, may not work for you in 5 years. Hell, it may not work next year. 

Stop putting pressure on yourselves and each other to be something specific. Med SLP, school SLP, peds, adults… we can do it ALL.

We grow, we change, we keep going. THAT Is where the beauty is 🩵 create the life you love and screw what you’re “supposed” to do.
Unbelievable. That’s all I got. Unbelievable. That’s all I got.
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It’s officially fall...and even thought it’s still in the 90s here in Florida, it’s time for fall themed activities! These clip categories are a fun activity for your students because it’s hands on and interactive 😍 bit.ly/2RhKYFB ... See MoreSee Less

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Speech stamps give your students the opportunity to work on speech and phonological awareness skills at the same time! Comes with digital and paper versions to fit all your therapy needs! bit.ly/CSWstamps ... See MoreSee Less

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Meet Blob (NOT Bob)… and I’m here to tell you that you need this one in your therapy sessions.Blob is a creature that can morph into anything and he does! But someone keeps calling him Bob instead of by his name, which is frustrating for him. Finally he decides to just be himself, and he also stands up for himself to be called the correct name.This one has all kinds of important lessons, and I think the name piece is super important for kids. Every child deserves to be called by their name and correctly. It’s a perfect beginning of the year book!This book would also be great for: ⚪️perspective taking⚪️Targeting /b/ or /l/ clusters⚪️Describing the different things Blob turns into⚪️Compare and contrast⚪️Discussing children’s interests and what they can be⚪️Making decisionsAmazon Affiliate link: amzn.to/3LbZDi7 ... See MoreSee Less

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