Young Adult With Apraxia - the end!

[Guest guest]

Dear Listmates,

I was just editing the last paragraph, when my email mailed itself - sorry.

I'm sure the point is not lost with the lack of editing. I know my posts are

long so I hope it is some help to those who read it all.

Beu - Columbus, Ohio Mom to DAS, etc - 22 years old and

eager for the state tournaments for Special Olympics this coming weekend - she

is

a real star and great team player - getting 18+ points per game!

> Dear Listmates,

> Congratulation to Kahlid and Mustafa!! When our kids do what many seem

> to take for granted - the pride and success are so wonderfully sweet.

>

> I have been a lurker, mostly, on the apraxia listservs. I wrote about my

> advocacy struggles for 's last 2-3 years of high school and since

then,

> have " lurked " . Once , graduated, I really needed to see more of her

> and the world than apraxia - I really needed a break. I am nearing a time

> when I can finally organize all of the paper work on (probably more

> than 10 large totes) and finally write our story in book form. I know from

> raising my own daughter with apraxia, how hungry for information about what

the

> future can hold, so my book-to-be will hopefully serve that purpose. My

> daughter, , just turned 22. She has developmental apraxia of speech,

mild

> gross and fine motor impairment, visual tracking impairment - essentially

> reading, writing, and talking all take her more time than most. She is

currently

> ready to start her 3rd quarter at Columbus State Community College. She wants

> to transfer to a 4 year college ( State) and become an athletic

> trainer. She graduated from HS in June 01 and then spent two years in a

community

> service program called City Year.

>

> Her most remarkable trait is her perservance - she will keep at what she

> feels important until it is done. Often, taking 3-5 times longer than others.

> Going on to the community college, as most things are for her, is her choice.

> She has several accomodations - a note taker, tests at the disability services

> center, extended time for tests, etc. Her course load is more to the light

> side and she works Saturdays and Sundays at Meijer bagging groceries, bringing

> in carts, etc.

>

> Her learning to drive was a journey/process, too. As most things seem to

> be. She was terrified about learning to drive, as she had one time run into a

> child while riding her bike. She was afraid of crashing. She had the

> opportunity and was evaluated at Ohio State (mostly OT visual tasks and car

> simulator). She passed the assessment, she felt mostly due to visual training

she had

> over the years. So she took regular driver ed classes and had 14 hours of on

> the road training with the trainer at Ohio State. She has had her temp lic

> for 2 1/2 years. I'll tell you, it was really white knuckles for the first

few

> months of her driving. It was a much more consciously learned process, as is

> most things with apraxia. She has not gotten her license because she will

> have to be able to pay for her insurance which might happen this summer.

>

> I just traded in a small car for a mid-size van so it will probably take a

> bit more effort to get ready for the maneuverablity part of the driving test.

> Probably one factor that has not made this a more immediate issue is that

> took our city busses everywhere while doing her two years for City

Year -

> they got a bus pass and were not allowed to drive. So she continues to get

> bus passes and use the bus daily.

>

> As our kids grow up - the issues change but I believe the basic

> values/personality prevail. As a parent, emotionally, it is not such an

intense roller

> coaster ride and normal issues of separation, independence, are part of the

> puzzle. I'm always grateful when a " normal " developmental situation needs

> attention.

>

> Just a note about her bagging job - I called the store manager when

> no reply to her application. I told him she was a hard worker

with a

> good attitude and that she would probably not interview as well as most due to

> her dysfluent speech. An hour later, got a call and was hired. So

-

> I told her that I could not do that for her indefinitely and that she would

> have to learn to do that for herself. So, parental support does go on past

> adolescence but hopefully, diminishes with time.

[Guest guest]

thank you for writing your update and a big congratulations to

for so many accomplishments! Please do keep us updated as

those of us with toddlers it is sometimes hard to picture that our

children will some day be 22 and what apraxia will mean at that

point. And please tell good luck on the state tourneys!

McCann

SAHM to 35 months verbal apraxia

> > Dear Listmates,

> > Congratulation to Kahlid and Mustafa!! When our kids do

what many seem

> > to take for granted - the pride and success are so wonderfully

sweet.

> >

> > I have been a lurker, mostly, on the apraxia listservs. I wrote

about my

> > advocacy struggles for 's last 2-3 years of high school

and since then,

> > have " lurked " . Once , graduated, I really needed to

see more of her

> > and the world than apraxia - I really needed a break. I am

nearing a time

> > when I can finally organize all of the paper work on

(probably more

> > than 10 large totes) and finally write our story in book form.

I know from

> > raising my own daughter with apraxia, how hungry for information

about what the

> > future can hold, so my book-to-be will hopefully serve that

purpose. My

> > daughter, , just turned 22. She has developmental

apraxia of speech, mild

> > gross and fine motor impairment, visual tracking impairment -

essentially

> > reading, writing, and talking all take her more time than most.

She is currently

> > ready to start her 3rd quarter at Columbus State Community

College. She wants

> > to transfer to a 4 year college ( State) and become an

athletic

> > trainer. She graduated from HS in June 01 and then spent two

years in a community

> > service program called City Year.

> >

> > Her most remarkable trait is her perservance - she will keep at

what she

> > feels important until it is done. Often, taking 3-5 times

longer than others.

> > Going on to the community college, as most things are for her,

is her choice.

> > She has several accomodations - a note taker, tests at the

disability services

> > center, extended time for tests, etc. Her course load is more

to the light

> > side and she works Saturdays and Sundays at Meijer bagging

groceries, bringing

> > in carts, etc.

> >

> > Her learning to drive was a journey/process, too. As most

things seem to

> > be. She was terrified about learning to drive, as she had one

time run into a

> > child while riding her bike. She was afraid of crashing. She

had the

> > opportunity and was evaluated at Ohio State (mostly OT visual

tasks and car

> > simulator). She passed the assessment, she felt mostly due to

visual training she had

> > over the years. So she took regular driver ed classes and had 14

hours of on

> > the road training with the trainer at Ohio State. She has had

her temp lic

> > for 2 1/2 years. I'll tell you, it was really white knuckles

for the first few

> > months of her driving. It was a much more consciously learned

process, as is

> > most things with apraxia. She has not gotten her license

because she will

> > have to be able to pay for her insurance which might happen this

summer.

> >

> > I just traded in a small car for a mid-size van so it will

probably take a

> > bit more effort to get ready for the maneuverablity part of the

driving test.

> > Probably one factor that has not made this a more immediate

issue is that

> > took our city busses everywhere while doing her two

years for City Year -

> > they got a bus pass and were not allowed to drive. So she

continues to get

> > bus passes and use the bus daily.

> >

> > As our kids grow up - the issues change but I believe the basic

> > values/personality prevail. As a parent, emotionally, it is not

such an intense roller

> > coaster ride and normal issues of separation, independence, are

part of the

> > puzzle. I'm always grateful when a " normal " developmental

situation needs

> > attention.

> >

> > Just a note about her bagging job - I called the store manager

when

> > no reply to her application. I told him she was a

hard worker with a

> > good attitude and that she would probably not interview as well

as most due to

> > her dysfluent speech. An hour later, got a call and

was hired. So -

> > I told her that I could not do that for her indefinitely and

that she would

> > have to learn to do that for herself. So, parental support does

go on past

> > adolescence but hopefully, diminishes with time.