Well this has been a whirlwind trip to the Apraxia Kids National Conference in Charlotte, NC! It started out with my outbound flight being cancelled due to a suspicious odor on the plane arriving to take us to Charlotte. A flight attendant was taken away in an ambulance after getting sick from the odor. Maintenance tried to find the problem on the plane but was unsuccessful. The gate agent announced that because they were short one flight attendant, the flight would be cancelled and advised us to call customer service to find alternative travel arrangements as they assisted passengers who had connecting flights. I took one look at the long line of frustrated passengers attempting to speak with the two agents available, and immediately knew I needed to develop a plan to get to my final destination. What choices do you have when you’re stranded at an airport? Rental cars! I did not want to get stuck on a long line to try to rent a car, so I grabbed my stuff and ran down to the rental car desks. The woman was so nice and understanding and hooked me up in a hurry. Alas, I was at least headed in the right direction, albeit a 5 hour drive north stood between me and a king sized bed all to myself.
I made it to the hotel and caught some zzz’s before the early morning sessions.
I ended up missing the kickoff of the conference on Thursday evening because I was on the road, but I heard the keynote speakers’ presentations were great. The first full day of sessions started bright and early at 8am, with a general session for all attendees. We broke for lunch and then went to our separate smaller sessions in the afternoon. Breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack were provided on both full days of the conference. There were tables set up in the main area with representatives from sponsors, including companies that sell speech products to help children both at home and in therapy. There was a table with Apraxia Kids apparel available for purchase, and a fun photo booth with the Apraxia Kids frame and props.
This was my first time ever attending any conference, so I really didn’t know what to expect. My husband has been to numerous conferences related to his profession, and he told me that if the topic of the particular session that I signed up for isn’t relevant or I find it not to be engaging, then switch into another session that will meet my needs. Other than his advice, I went in with an open mind and the hopes that I would gain valuable information that would help me to understand apraxia better and to help me help my daughter.
Prior to the conference, I registered for all of my sessions based on interest and necessity as it relates to our daughter’s abilities. I registered well in advance and two of the sessions that I really wanted to attend had already filled up by the time I registered. I chose backups and received my schedule along with all of the Powerpoint presentations in a zip file so that I could download them and print them out to bring with me or access on my computer while at the conference.
The sessions were presented by experienced Speech Language Pathologists (SLP) who are well versed in apraxia, and their presentations were thoughtful and thorough. Some of the topics were a bit advanced for parent attendees, even though those particular sessions were designated for both parents and SLPs. There were a few times where I felt the material was over my head. Thankfully, my daughter’s SLP was in attendance and was able to further explain foreign concepts to me and how they applied to my daughter. Overall, the material was relevant and helpful. I walked away with new knowledge and new goals to implement into our home practice. It helped me to see what areas and difficulties we might be faced with in the near future, as my daughter advances in preschool and her abilities.
Overall, the conference was a wonderful experience! I met a lot of parents whose children have a Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) diagnosis, and we traded war stories and uncovered certain behaviors that all of our children share, that we were able to potentially chalk up to CAS. Quirky little things like refusing to smile for or take pictures, and being extremely strong willed (perhaps stubborn) but determined. I met and interacted with a number of SLPs who were genuinely interested in learning about each of our children and where we are in our journey. I also met a lovely young woman who I had found on Facebook last year and had been following ever since. Her name is Aly and she’s an adult living with CAS. She has been through years of therapies since she was a young girl, and successfully graduated from college and has persevered and flourished. It’s incredible to talk to someone who has been where my daughter has and to get her perspective and to see how far she’s successfully come. You can follow her on her Facebook page: Girl With A Funny Accent.
I had no idea what to expect going into this conference. My hopes were to gain insight into apraxia, learn what to expect at each age and level of ability, and take away tips on how I can improve our home practice outside of therapy. I can confidently say that I learned more about the science and characteristics of CAS, saw videos of children of different ages and abilities who have a CAS diagnosis, and learned a bunch of useful tips that I’ve already started implementing, with success, in our home practice. The most important takeaway for me personally, was getting to meet so many parents who are in the same trenches that we’re in. I felt part of a community-a family even-that completely gets it. We’ve all cried similar tears, suffered through similar struggles, triumphed through the adversity, and celebrated the same inchstones. Walking into the general session felt like walking into a giant warm embrace. I’m so proud and happy to be apart of this community. I found my people!
Top Tips for Attending the Apraxia National Convention:
- Bring a sweater. It’s freezing in the session rooms! Most attendees wore cute casual outfits like slacks and blouses (in case you’re wondering what to wear).
- Register early to ensure the sessions you want to attend don’t fill up.
- Bring snacks in your bag. Snacks were provided in the afternoon, but I was thankful that I packed some of my staples from home to nosh on in the morning sessions.
- Bring a notebook or a laptop computer for taking notes. You may also choose to write directly on the Powerpoint printouts, just don’t forget to print them out at home and bring them with you!
- Don’t be shy-all of the parents in the room are part of your tribe. Go out and get to know each other!
Tamar Blazer is an attorney-turned-twin mom, with a passion for her family, friends, writing, good food, home decor and laughing. When she’s not lamenting on her lack of sleep, you can find her doing one of the too many projects she likes to take on, usually with a twin on either side.
