Dear Parents

So, it happened.

Your child was diagnosed with Apraxia of Speech.

If you're in the beginning of your journey, I am sure you're overwhelmed.

If you're a couple years or several years into this journey, I am sure you're still overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed to find answers. Overwhelmed because not a single parenting book even mentioned this.

How to raise a child with a rare speech disorder, how to handle a teenager with an accent?

You know absolutely nothing about this.

What's even worse-there is no right or wrong path for this journey either.

But there is one vital factor that I am positive your child with Apraxia would like you to know.

Regardless of where they are in their journey, none of this is your fault.

So, please, quit blaming yourself.

Quit thinking that one medication caused your child's Apraxia, quit reading into these conspiracies and odd-ball studies saying that if you did this *insert random activity here* then your child is likely to have speech delays.

Just stop blaming yourself, please.

Because every second of your energy spent blaming yourself, is a second of energy taken away from your child.

For every second spent wondering why this happened to your child, you could spend that second imagining what they'll be when they grow up.

What they'll accomplish and what their dreams are.

For every second you spend in your personal guilt and curiosity, you lose that energy toward investing in your child.

Investing in their individuality.

Investing in their character.

I beg of you, to pay attention to what you invest your time, money, and energy in.

At the end of the day, you are not only on this fight against Apraxia, but you are on a constant journey to raise a person, an adult, and an individual.