summer therapy

[Guest guest]

,

I am glad you clarified about having to fight for the summer therapy! Every

school system/district is very different but it is

VERY common for services to be refused during the summer for someone who " just

has a speech/language/apraxic delay " . It is

not automatic at all and not everyone has the energy or resources to FIGHT for

their kid. Each person , in my humble opinion, has

to do what they can when they can to get what their child needs. We absolutely

cannot all have everything we want for our

children at all times, no matter how hard we fight. Thus we must figure out our

priorities in life at each stage and place. That is

why the work you and others are doing to get the public and the SCHOOLS and

medical community to know and believe that

apraxia is real and can be treated is SO IMPORTANT!!! Hopefully, we will see a

day in which continuous excellent and

appropriate treatment will automatically be available to every child struggling

to find his/her voice.....but right now that is definitely

not the case! Cheers to your ongoing fight for all the children! Carol

[Guest guest]

Dear Carol!

And cheers to you! And cheers to all of you who run support

groups, which is a key to raising awareness in your own town or

state. As a group you have a much stronger voice, and as a group you

will learn what techniques, therapists, neurodevelopmental doctors,

or special ed attorneys, as well as which school districts in your

area, are helping to provide the appropriate education and therapy to

children with speech and language impairments like apraxia.

Then it's the domino effect. Once you have the names of schools,

etc. that are " doing the right thing " by the way of the children -you

can use that to help better your own fight for your child. It's sad

that we as parents have to do this and at some point hopefully we

won't have too. Part of that means not believing into the old

outdated myth of what is appropriate, especially when they do not

understand your child's speech impairment -and fighting for what

really is known to be appropriate today. The internet (and a

printer) is also a best friend here for all of us as parents.

One thing I truly believe is that by helping other children I am

helping my son Tanner much more than if I just concentrated on him

alone. Helping others helps to raise awareness. Tanner's not even

in Kindergarten yet -so he's got a long way to go though the school

years. This topic is something our Executive VP Cheryl

SLS MA/Educational Consultant and NJ Teacher Representative

agrees with -which is why she so passionately has always and

continues to help us as parents. Each one of us do make a

difference - and together we will make things better for our

children -and perhaps one day without a fight. Then we can all

say " cheers to you! " at the IEP meeetings as well.

What a beautiful world that will be!

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