For many children, the gift of speech unfolds effortlessly.
But for Alexander, the journey to find his voice was filled with hurdles, until his family found support from KidsAbility.
Alexander’s story began like many others; he was a healthy baby, hitting every developmental milestone, including babbling his first sounds. However, at 13 months, his ability to speak halted abruptly. His sounds were jumbled and his words were incomplete.
“Alex understood language and knew what he wanted to say, but he struggled to form the sounds and words. Learning about Childhood Apraxia of Speech—a complicated neurological motor planning disorder—and what it meant for our son was overwhelming. But the moment we met his Speech-Language Pathologist, we felt hope. She expertly tailored each session to Alex’s needs. We integrated therapy tools at home. Alex put hard work into every word. Over time, his speech began to blossom.”
Shannon, Alexander’s mom
A pivotal moment came when Alexander pieced together a three-word sentence for the first time, telling his mom, “I love you.”
His words left Shannon in tears.
“KidsAbility brought back my child’s spirit of who he is and who he can be,” Shannon reflects. “Communicating is everything. It has opened up his little world so much.”
Alexander continues to work hard to build his speech. His greatest successes happen when he is with friends. His confidence soars when he’s solving math problems and playing video games.
Shannon see how her son’s world is now filled with words, thoughts, and dreams once thought unreachable. She credits his progress as “a miracle,” and acknowledges her family would have been at such a loss without the community’s belief in Alexander’s potential.
“Donations support families like ours. Our son learned how to communicate with us. For that, we will always be so very grateful for KidsAbility.”