Wyatt makes 'leaps and bounds' after Childhood Apraxia of Speech diagnosis

"Wyatt was 4 years old the first time he said 'mom' or 'dad' — it still brings tears to our eyes," shared Jeremy Hron, Wyatt’s father.

When Wyatt was 2 years old, his parents, Jeremy and Gina, Arlington, recognized that he was not meeting typical speech milestones for his age. Wyatt was completely nonverbal and could only say the words ‘hi’ and ‘uh-oh.’ To better understand what was happening, Jeremy and Gina sought advice from schools and health care specialists — eventually leading them to Ridgeview’s Pediatric Rehab team.

Typical speech milestones

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), by the age of 2, children are typically able to name pictures in books, ask questions such as, "What’s that?", and can put two words together, such as 'more apple.' By age 3, children typically have a much wider vocabulary and can put three or more words together.

Lori Jaeger, MA, CCC-SLP, speech-language pathologist, Ridgeview, explains, "In most cases, a pediatrician will observe whether a child is communicating and meeting speech and language milestones. If the child is not meeting typical milestones, they are then referred to a speech-language pathologist for testing and diagnosis."

At age 3, Wyatt started receiving therapy at Ridgeview’s Pediatric Rehab department where they learned he was struggling to produce sounds. At age 4, he was diagnosed with severe Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS).

CAS is a motor speech disorder

As you speak, your brain sends messages to your muscles telling them how to move to produce sounds. With CAS, the brain struggles to plan and develop these speech movements.

Children with CAS typically have an understanding of what they want to say but have a difficult time saying it. "Imagine that you are moving your mouth and trying to talk, but your words do not sound like the message you want to say. It would be incredibly frustrating," Jaeger explained.

Taking action following Wyatt’s diagnosis

"When we first learned about Wyatt’s diagnosis, we felt helpless and didn’t know what to do. It’s hard to watch your child struggle with communication, and not being able to communicate with him was very difficult. But we are pretty optimistic people and work really hard with him," Jeremy said.

Jeremy and Gina wanted to learn more about CAS to understand how they could help and support Wyatt. They dove into books, joined support groups and found strategies to communicate with Wyatt.

"We started putting up signs for him to point at what he wanted and tried sign language as well. Sometimes we still don’t fully understand him, so it’s necessary to have him show us exactly what he wants," Jeremy explained. "There are a lot of meltdowns due to not being fully understood and frustration when he is not understood by his peers. It’s hard to gauge what’s typical frustration of CAS and what’s typical childhood behavior — but we try our best."

With the help of Ridgeview’s Pediatric Rehab team and the immense support from his parents, Wyatt has made significant progress both at home and in speech therapy. "It’s a hard battle, but if you put forth the effort in order to fight for your child, it pays dividends," Jeremy said.

Support to aid in progress

Today, Wyatt is 5 years old and continues to make progress. "That little man has made leaps and bounds," Jeremy said. "He is very smart and his fine motor skills are extremely good. He thrives at soccer, building, coloring, writing — anything that has a lot of action."

Wyatt attends therapy three times a week where he sees Lori Jaeger, MA, CCC-SLP, for speech therapy and Sia Langum, MS, OTR/L, for occupational therapy. Wyatt is also enrolled in preschool with a paraprofessional to help encourage more speech growth. "Dad, mom and grandma have been very supportive and have done a lot to continue to learn more about apraxia, which has helped Wyatt progress even further," shared Jaeger. Wyatt is now able to produce words on his own, request what he wants, express an emotion and ask for help.

Jeremy’s advice to those navigating a similar diagnosis is this: "Take it slow. Be patient. Listen to your speech and occupational therapists — they are not only very informative, but they are also on your and your child’s side."

Ridgeview’s Pediatric Rehab team offers physical, occupational and speech therapy services. They are committed to providing exceptional care in an environment that allows your child to feel comfortable, and, most importantly, thrive. Learn more about Ridgeview’s Pediatric Rehab department and services.