2015 Emerald Coast Walk for Apraxia ,

About the event

I, for the first time in my area, am coordinating with CASANA (The Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America) a fundraising Walk to benefit such children. CASANA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit publicly funded charity whom the ONLY national nonprofit dedicated exclusively to children with apraxia and their families. Per CASANA'S website, their goals are as follows: To provide high quality information on CAS and spread awareness to families, professionals, policy-makers and other members of the public. To provide practical support to families by assisting with small therapy grants and communication tools for affected children. To facilitate better public policy and services for children affected by the disorder. To provide training and educational opportunities for families and professionals. To increase the level of expertise available throughout North America to diagnose and treat Childhood Apraxia of Speech To encourage/fund research in childhood apraxia of speech and sponsor scientific research meetings. I personally became involved as a walk coordinator(for the first time) after I had learned only 4 months ago that my toddler, Summer Elise, was diagnosed with this disorder. I felt compelled to organize this first Walk after realizing the high number of health care providers, teachers, family members, friends, and the general public who were unaware of Apraxia. I felt alone in this diagnosis until I located the CASANA organization who led me to extensive resources and parent support groups to reach out to. In particular, my compassion to organize this event derived from witnessing first hand how Summer is treated in public when she attempts to speak. I noticed the stares, comments and insults by uneducated persons, yet she is too young to understand that something is “not right” with her speech. As a mother, I am concerned for my daughter’s future and confidence, especially when she becomes aware of her disability. Summer basically knows what she wants to say, yet her brain has difficulty coordinating the muscle movements required to speak the words. She is very vocal but doesn’t sound intelligible while trying to talk. She’s a very bright, happy child filled with love, energy and kindness. I can relate to the parents with children struggling with Apraxia and believe that someone has to speak up for these children! Below, you will find a link to my personal website which will raise donations. These funds will be directly submitted to CASANA in order to help these children.

Why should you sponsor?

Jennifer Boswell

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