Day 30 of Apraxia Awareness Month - "Hope For The Future"

My hope for Apraxia Awareness and the future has not changed in the last 20 years.  My hope has always been to help every single child out there with a 'funny accent' to find their strengths, talents, and happiness. To bring them as much comfort as I possibly can so they are never ostracized for something beyond their natural control. 

My hope is that one day Apraxia will not be a foreign concept.

My hope is that others will respect a child finding their voice; that other family members will empathize with those on the Apraxia Journey.

My hope is that the a child diagnosed will not be questioned by cynical doubters. 

My hope is that each party involved can work together for the success of a child-between speech pathologists, teachers, parents, and the children themselves.

My hope is that they all share a common goal of shaping a child's special talents and strengths rather than accentuating their 'special needs' and disorders. 

My hope is for understanding.

My hope is for respect.

My hope is for empathy. 

My hope is, sadly, only a hope. An intangible idealistic dream, but I truly believe that we are closer now to making these hopes real than we were 24 years ago.