Letting Her Out

Our youngest daughter, aged 3 has severe CAS, Childhood Apraxia of Speech. This simply means that she does not have the neurological ability to create the coordination to articulate speech. She's bright as a button, and has above average intelligence, but can't communicate those thoughts and feelings because of her CAS.

Yesterday, our school district provided her with a speech generative device. It will do the talking for her. Here's what happened when I gave it to her....

Last night, bringing home the Prentke Romich to Princess was one of those moments you never forget. She caught on right away, and in her playing, discovered the keys that said her name, where she lives, her school and her dog’s name. After she heard that the machine could SAY the things that people ask her all the time, she audibly GASPED, put her hands over her mouth, looked at me with a HUGE grin, and attempted to tell me…that the machine could say what she couldn’t. She carried it with her the rest of the night…wouldn’t let it out of her sight.

She GOT it right away, and was drawn to it like it was a missing appendage. During the course of the night I showed her the I want, and where the foods were listed, and told her that she needed to teach Miss Emily today. When she got up this morning, she went and got the PR put it around her neck and let me know that she was ready for the mission in which I had entrusted her…she was going to teach Ms. Emily….

I’m anxious to see if that’s what happened.