Day 21: Best Advice


My best advice for anyone on this Apraxia Journey is a simple one: Apraxia does not define the individual.

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Puzzle Bob & I
At last years conference, I had a visual that I call "Puzzle Bob" to emphasize this point and I'll share it again...

Now, walk with me here, we have a giant puzzle that is a whole person, right? Now some of us have this puzzle piece entitled 'Apraxia.'

Granted, some of us may think this is the biggest piece out of the whole puzzle. Even if it were though, it is not the ONLY piece. What sort of boring puzzle would that be if it were only a single piece, right?

Each child is made up of several different pieces:

They love junk food.

They like swimming.

They enjoy meeting new people.

They enjoy books.

Each of these interests are a 'puzzle piece' of who they are. Their identity outside of their disorder.

If we spend 100% of our efforts with only one puzzle piece, such as Apraxia, we miss out on the whole puzzle. We forget to pay attention to natural hobbies, interests, and pleasures.

Sure, Apraxia is a pretty hefty, emotionally-draining puzzle piece. No doubt.

But, let's not forget, Apraxia is only one part of a whole puzzle, a whole identity, and a whole child.