What does Stacia need tonight

For some reason Stacia seems to be having a hard time getting to sleep tonight. Since it's looking like her Abba is going to be working overtime it could be another 3 hours before I get to get some sleep.

I thought I would compose a list of some of Stacia's favorite things to do

Take a bath though I will say she comes by it naturally. I have lost track of how many times her Abba has come home to find her Mama asleep in the tub.

Watch Signing Time she makes all the signs along with the show and loves to show off her signing skills. Some days though she doesn't exactly listen when I tell her to stop what she is doing (usually running around) and sit down.

Play with her Minnie Mouse toys. She has a number of them that have outfits that are plastic and just pop on and off. A nice alternative to paper dolls. I wish they had these when I was little.

Climb up into the cupboards or the top of the fridge in search of something better than what she has been served.

Finish the last of the milk that I was saving for breakfast

Make sure that a package of cheese that has been opened and some saved for later use does not stay that way.

Explore in Bridget's room because everyone knows older sibling(s) room(s) are always the most interesting and way more fun than our own

Rearrange the icons and the task bar on the computer. She figured this one out on her own without having been taught.

Take all sorts of interesting photos with her DynaVox, my cell phone, my camera. The last two usually without permission to use.

Decide that we need to kiss every single on of her friends good night before she can go to bed.

Coming up with more and interesting ways to annoy Bridget though usually this accomplished by going in and destroying her room.

Playing with her Little People

Pulling all the vhs tapes out of the entertainment center so that she can use the spot for a hide out

Rearranging the furniture to make a fort.

Practice her hand writing usually on the walls which gets her in trouble

Play peak a boo

Well it's time to see if Stacia will at least settle down to watch a show on either hulu or youtube with me so maybe we can at least rest until her Abba gets home.

Tammy

1054 Days

That's how long it has been since we got the official word that Yes Stacia has Childhood Apraxia of Speech. 1054 Days of officially being on the journey of raising a child with apraxia. 1054 days ago Stacia was just over 32.5 months old having the expressive language skills of a 5 month old. For those who want to know that means she had an 85% gap between her receptive (what she understood) language and her expressive language (what she could say). In the past 1054 days Stacia is now 66 months old and has the language skills of a 24 month old. She still has a 64% delay.

Today May 14, 2014 for the 1st ever Apraxia Awareness Day we celebrate Stacia and her 21% increase in her expressive language. I might note here that when Stacia uses her Dynavox or Signing that her receptive and expressive language are on the same level. I am referring to her being able to use her voice.

It's been 1054 days of fighting for Stacia. Fighting not only to get her the services she needs but fighting people who inform me that she does not have apraxia but that she has autism. Sad to say this fight does include some family members.

Yes there are children who have Apraxia and Autism, just like there are kids who have Down Syndrome and Apraxia.

http://ezinearticles.com/?What-is-the-Difference-Between-Apraxia-and-Autism?&id=1154729

To me this is the big difference " ...in the case of verbal apraxia, if you play with your child and don't demand speech from him or her, you may find that they begin playing actively and engaging others in their play." or this regarding social interaction  "... in the case of motor apraxia, this is normally because they are not always capable of performing the physical movements that allows them access to others. However, motor apraxia won't usually make a child want to avoid social interaction altogether, such as failing to make eye contact, or specifically moving away from other people."

Stacia moves towards other kids and will try and interact with them. Sometimes she is not always successful especially when she can't make herself understood. She does move away from others at times when they make her feel uncomfortable or are making fun of her.

Today is the first ever Apraxia Awareness Day

Stacia more interested in checking out a different view from her play house

Stacia wanting to see the words written on her sign

Successful and Happy Stacia reads the words on her sign

For those who are wondering what the sign says it reads

I AM A CHILD

WITH APRAXIA

BUT

APRAXIA DOES NOT DEFINE ME

Determined Courageous Brave Great Speller
Chocolate Lover-hand it over and no one gets hurt
Loves Pooh and Friends Loves to Swing Loves Peanut Butter
Loves Ice Cream Loves Minnie Mouse

Tammy

Apraxia Awareness Day tomorrow.

I am excited to be celebrating Apraxia Awareness Day tomorrow My mama has been busy printing out Apraxia Awareness business cards and handing them out along with ribbons for people to wear to show support not only to me but all my friends with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. She has also been busy with preparations for the 2nd Montana and Northern Wyoming Walk for Children with Apaxia of Speech coming up June 8 in Billings.
Why don't you join us or make a donation to the walk secure.apraxia-kids.org/billingswalk For the 2012 walk we had 25 walkers and raised 516.38 and I would like to see us raise even more this year. The money goes to research to help kids like me because they don't know a lot about what even causes apraxia in some cases including mine.
 I can say a lot more words now and have become a regular chatter box making all sorts of sounds. Most of the time Mama lets me talk except when I get too loud. I like to get my big sister, Bridget's sound cards for spelling out and practice saying all the sounds that I can. I still don't like to say d, or t though I did slip the other day and said button in front of both Mama and Abba. I have not said it since which Mama says from what she has learned that is not uncommon for kids like me to be able to say a word when we are paying attention to something else and not be able to say the word when we are asked to later.
Well it's time to get ready for bed as my room is finally picked up. Oh and I had a great time today getting to go to my sister's German class picnic I really liked the curry wurst and spatzee which is an orange flavored cola. I kept asking for more but Mama said I couldn't have as much as I wanted.
Please leave me and my Mama some comments below even just to say hi.
Love,
Stacia with help from her Mama Tammy