Super Hero With An Apraxic Smile

Alex will begin telling a story. He will be loud enough to be heard, he'll be excited, he'll even be comfortable with himself. 

Halfway through his story the person he's speaking to will get this distant look on his/her face. Sometimes Alex will notice, stop, and ask, "Are you listening?" Too many times I will hear people say, "I don't know what you're saying," or "I can't understand you." Alex's smile will fade, his shoulders will slump, his head will  lower, and he will softly say, "Never mind."  At which point he is done speaking.

This breaks my heart. 

I have mentioned all of the simple tasks that we do without even thinking about them, yet they are so difficult for Alex (as well as other Apraxic children).  Speaking is one of those tasks.  Sure, we think about what we are going to say before we say it (well, most of us do), but we don't have to actually think about forming our mouth and tongue to make the words. Alex does. He knows what he's supposed to do but he just can't seem to get his mouth and tongue to cooperate. It's frustrating and exhausting.  

Since he was little he has loved super heroes.  This morning he was telling me something and I couldn't understand him.  I smiled and said, "Slow down.  Tell me again."  (He gets excited and starts talking so fast that there is no way you can understand him.) He took a deep breath and repeated what he was saying.  I said, "Okay, kiddo.  I understand most of it, but you have to remember that you speak like a super hero and I have these average person ears.  Talk to me like I'm not as cool as you, because obviously, I'm not."  This is an exchange we have had for years. Sure, at 10 he's getting close to outgrowing the "you-talk-like-a-super-hero" routine, but it always makes him smile. 

Anyone who has to work twice as hard to do half of what others can so easily do is a super hero.  Anyone who has to repeat themselves several times and still may not be understood, but they keep trying to be understood, is a super hero.  

Anyone who reminds us on a daily basis that things are only as bad as you make them, is a super hero.  

He is my super hero with an Apraxic smile; the coolest smile any super hero could have!