Kids say the darndest things....unless of course they don't because they have apraxia.

What was it that Bill Cosby always said?  Kids say the darndest things or something like that.  Unless of course, you know, they don't because they have apraxia of speech and can't even say the most basic things.  Or this that I just ran across:

Unless of course, they don't because they have Apraxia 

When Ashlynn was born, I wondered what her personality would be, the funny things she would do and say.  I just expected it to happen.  She would be so witty.  She has two smart parents, and one in particular who is quite funny (I won't name names but it's not the SLP).

As time marched on, I did see her personality, and she did do funny things, but it was all so limited. It's pretty hard to say or do basic things, much less funny things when you have motor planning issues affect your entire body.

Seeing other kids her age or younger on social media or worse in person, usually broke my heart.  It got to the point I didn't want to take her around other kids her age and I had to hide friends on social media because I couldn't bear another kids say the darndest things" moment, or really any moment that a typical developing child would have:

Scenario:
My crazy kid is doing back flips off our couch
What I saw:
Ashlynn can't even jump yet

Scenario:
Look at our precious baby wearing her mom's high heels.  We're in trouble!
What I saw:
My precious baby still falls wearing her own sturdy tennis shoes

Scenario:
My son just imagined this carrot looked like an alien
What I saw:
Can my daughter even say carrot, and does she even know what an alien is?

Scenario:
Look at our big boy riding his two wheeler!
What I saw:
My big girl still can't pedal a big wheel.

Scenario:
Little girl just said she wants to be a princess for Halloween.  She sure is daddy's little princess!
What I saw:
My little princess has yet to say her name.

The list goes on. Not that I wasn't proud of all of these other kids, I was.  I was also happy for the parents, and maybe a little jealous.  How easy everything came.  All these cute little milestones taken for granted.

Worse yet, the posts about their child's annoying incessant talking.  If only there was some peace and quiet.

Really?

The quiet is our own little hell.  You can't even to begin to understand how painful that is to hear as a mother who has a nonverbal child, when every quiet moment is spent praying that they will talk.

That's why my last post was so special I guess about Ashlynn confusing "coworkers" with "construction workers."  She always comes along, just in her own time,

and your kids will too.