Margot’s Summer
“I'm not giving up, I'm not giving up, giving up, no not me
Even when nobody else believes
I'm not going down that easily
So don't give up on me“
- Andy Grammer
(Margot’s favorite song)
My daughter, Margot, smiles a lot. Like, a lot. But I’ve never seen her smile the way she did at summer camp last year.
After being diagnosed with Apraxia* and Global Developmental Delay** around the age of 3, a global pandemic causing virtual school/therapy and a series of other unfortunate circumstances, my husband and I were determined. Determined to “catch Margot up”, “accelerate her speech” and “get her ready for Kindergarten”. We searched high and low for a summer program that would be a good fit for Margot and our family. We were disappointed to learn we have nothing close to home. Ultimately, we decided on Camp Communicate at Speech Pathways in Oklahoma City. We packed up our 3 daughters (including 1 newborn) and our 55 pound dog then drove across the country for our 2 week adventure.
The camp was an intensive speech camp for Apraxia kiddos and kids diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. From the moment Margot walked in the door she was surrounded by support. Speech Language Pathologists, speech students, and other professionals were constantly at her side. Lots and lots of play based learning, and many therapy sessions. Their model was really something to see.
The parents were able to attend learning sessions, had the opportunity to network with other parents and my favorite, we were able to observe Margot amongst her peers. Because of COVID, we hadn’t been able to observe Margot at school in a long time.
My daughter has always been friendly, but she has never been understood. She has always played with others well, but had difficulty making same age friends on her own. Her symptoms make her seem immature and talk like a baby, for lack of a better phrase.
There was no hiding the confidence bursting from Margot during our observations. She was grinning ear to ear and barely looked up to notice us. She was focused and following directions. She was happy, truly happy. We quickly realized that Margot had never met anyone “like her”. She’s never had a friend the same age that “talked funny” or was hard to understand. She hadn’t had conversations with others using their augmented alternative communication devices (AAC). It was first time ever that a peer genuinely invited Margot for a play date.
We may not have caught Margot up in one summer and she didn’t just start speaking sentences over night. She was very successful at camp and the sounds and words she worked on improved greatly. However, the smile on Margot’s face was the boost of confidence was just what she needed to jump into Kindergarten. It reminded us to believe in Margot and what she is capable of, given lots of hard work and support.
With all of the resources and education in Nashville, our hometown, why don’t we have a camp here? I’ve made it my mission to utilize resources and our support systems here to find a camp(s) for Margot this summer. I’ll be Margot’s voice until she finds hers. Big or small, don’t give up on whatever your little one is battling.
— Ashley Kimball — Nashville Mom of 3
connect with her on instagram @ashleypittmankimball
*WHAT IS CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH?
Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder that makes it difficult for children to speak. Children with the diagnosis of apraxia of speech generally have a good understanding of language and know what they want to say. However, they have difficulty learning or carrying out the complex sequenced movements that are necessary for intelligible speech.
**A child with Global Developmental Delay (GDD) typically presents with a delay in multiple developmental areas. Areas of delay may include speech and language, social, cognition, play and motor skills. Children with GDD will typically present as younger, or behind, their typically developing peers.
www.mosaicearlyintervention.com.au/blog/global-developmental-delay
