Megan Morton is a devoted mother to her four children. She has one girl and three boys. Two of her boys are twins, and they are both diagnosed with apraxia.
Apraxia is when someone knows exactly what they want to say, but when they go to move their mouth, the sounds do not come out the way that they want. People with apraxia do not typically struggle with muscle weakness. But instead, their struggle has to do with the ability to get messages from their brain to their mouth, in order to execute the movements needed to produce speech.
Megan was kind enough to share her perspective on what it's like to raise children with apraxia. We hope that you like her story as much as we do!
What are some things that you love about Evan and Garrett?
“They love to have fun and they have good hearts.”
Can you sum up Evan and Garrett in 3 words?
“I would say that Evan is sneaky, warm-hearted & silly".
"Garrett is “cookoo” (as he would say), fun & loving.”
Can you give me an example about a challenge that you have faced while raising children with apraxia?
“Around 2 yrs ago, the boys were obsessed with anything to do with construction. They desperately wanted to know how to spell things that were construction related. But, it became a challenge for them. Evan wanted to know how to spell quarry, but everytime he would say it, a different word would come out. He would be asking me this for weeks, but I never understood what he was saying. But one day, we were driving by a quarry, and once he saw it, he screamed and said, “That’s what I was talking about!”
“One year, Garrett wanted a batcave (with batman) for Christmas. But it came out as pancakes for weeks! I wasn’t sure if he really wanted that for Christmas, so I kept asking him, but he just kept repeating pancakes. One day we were at the store, and Evan saw the batcave. He ran up to me with the toy in his hands, and I finally knew what he meant.”
What are some good resources that you have found, that have really helped Garrett and Evan?
“Circle Creek Therapy. The repetition that they get in therapy has been helpful, especially with apraxia. The school that the boys go to has been helpful too, but not like Circle Creek Therapy.”
If you were to give a parent some advice, who just found out that their child has apraxia, what would you say to them?
“Be patient. Results won’t come fast, but with hard work, they will get the support they need.”
If you’re concerned about your child’s language or speech development, or if you are concerned that they might have apraxia, please call and set up a free consultation. Our number 253.237.3405. We would be happy to help!
