Images Captured by Kristy Klassen Photograpahy
Meet
Tiny Light Matthew.
He
is a sensitive soul and feels bad when others are hurting or get into trouble.
Born
in 2007, Matthew was one-and-a-half when he was diagnosed with Oral Apraxia, or
Dysarthria as it is also known. This means that he struggles with control of
his speech muscles. He has a hard time moving his mouth into new shapes,
and his speech can be unclear. Matthew’s mother was advised by many to
give him time and not to worry that there may be a problem. However, she sought
the help of a Speech Language Pathologist anyway. Her efforts were
rewarded as the SLP stated that therapy and early intervention would improve
his speech. Although many people have trouble understanding Matthew, one
of his sisters has always possessed translation skills and can determine what
he is saying, signing or grunting.
Overall,
his family was relieved at the diagnosis, as they now knew that there was a
problem with his speech and that there was something they could do about
it. Matthew’s language delay never seems to get in the way of his
interaction with other children. He loves attending daycare, making
animal sounds, playing with his sister and watching Handy Manny. They now
know it is only matter of time before he can speak clearly and be understood by
others; already they have witnessed major improvements and rarely need their
“translator” anymore.
It
is believed that Matthew will accomplish anything he sets his sights on.
Written
by Kristi Hall-Busque
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