05/15/2026
CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH ✨//
a little personal piece of my heart — and honestly, part of what shaped the advocate and Doula I am today. When my son Max was 2 years old, we noticed his speech was different. Something deep in my mama gut told me he needed extra support. After a year of in-home speech therapy, we sought out a referral from and met with an incredible SLP who diagnosed him with Childhood Apraxia of Speech within minutes of meeting him. Getting answers felt both comforting and heartbreaking all at once. I remember leaving with a thousand questions racing through my mind: Will he ever be understood? What will his future look like? How hard will this journey be for him? But I also knew one thing immediately — early intervention was a gift, and we were going to do everything in our power to help Max find his voice and speak with confidence and pride. I’m forever grateful we live in a time where community is just a click away. Through Facebook groups, I found incredible mothers who shared resources, encouragement, and reminded me we weren’t alone. What many people don’t realize is that speech disorders impact so much more than speech alone. There can be learning differences, emotional challenges, endless appointments, and the constant role of becoming an advocate in a world you never expected to navigate. There were exhausting seasons filled with therapy, tears, practicing sounds, advocating at schools, researching, worrying, hoping, and trying to stay strong for your child while quietly carrying the emotional weight yourself. But slowly, progress came. One sound. One word. One breakthrough at a time. And today, after 9 straight years of speech therapy 2–3 times a week, consistently, even through COVID - Max is now fully intelligible! ✨
That happened because of his resilience, determination, hard work, and the unwavering support of incredible SLP’s who poured into him year after year. Proud doesn’t even begin to cover it 🥹
To every parent in the thick of it: Trust your intuition. Advocate fiercely. Find your people. And never give up on your child’s voice. ✨🤍
