Alyssa DePaolis has known what she wanted to do with her life since she was a sophomore in high school. Her dream was to become a speech-language pathologist and help children struggling with words find their voice.
Now, a college sophomore, the 18-year-old Eltingville resident is on her way to fulfilling her goals. She is spearheading Staten Island’s first walk to benefit children with apraxia of speech, a motor speech disorder that leaves them unable to transform their thoughts into the correct words.
“One expression I always hated was, ‘children should be seen and not heard,’” Ms. DePaolis said. “There are plenty of kids out there who can’t talk and would love to have that ability.”
Titled “Staten Island Speaks Up!,” the walk will be held Sunday in Clove Lakes Park. Registration and check-in begin at 8 a.m.; the walk kicks off at 9:15. There will be refreshments and entertainment, including a DJ, face painting and costumed characters.
There also will be raffles and a 50/50; Ms. DePaolis is still seeking businesses willing to donate baskets.
All money raised will go to The Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America (CASANA), which offers support and help to families and professionals working with children with the disorder.
INSPIRATION
Ms. DePaolis, a speech-language pathology major at St. John’s University, Grymes Hill, was inspired to help kids by her aunt, who works with special-needs children. Her interest was further ignited by an internship at a local therapy clinic that offers speech-language pathology services.
“I fell in love with the students,” she said. “I thought it was amazing to watch. There were kids who were told they wouldn’t speak, and they were talking.”
Last year, she participated in the Miss Staten Island pageant, with her platform, “Speak Up,” which focused on childhood apraxia of speech. Although she didn’t win the 2011 competition, she plans to return this fall.
“It’s not because I want the crown,” she insisted, “It’s because I want the power that comes with the crown to make a difference.”
Ms. DePaolis already seems to be making a difference in the lives of those in the apraxia community. So far, she has raised more than $10,000 for CASANA and has people attending the walk from as far away as Delaware.
STORY OF HOPE
One of those families coming to the Island walk is the Gundersons of Huntington, L.I. Kim and Cory Gunderson’s four children were diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech; according to research, there may be a genetic component.
The couple first realized something was wrong with their oldest child, Nick, when at about 16 months, he started having trouble with his speech.
“We saw this kid go from being able to express himself to not being able to,” Kim Gunderson said. “I knew something was going on. He was frustrated. He wasn’t a child choosing to be quiet and content — he wanted to communicate.”
Nick was diagnosed with the disorder at around age 3. After several years of speech-language therapy and other interventions, the now-15-year-old is an honor roll student who rarely has speech issues.
The Gundersons’ other children, the late Maggie, Riley, now 12, and Zoe, 10, also had the disorder. Because of their parents’ experience with Nick, the girls’ speech issues were caught earlier. Riley and Zoe no longer need therapy. Both girls are in choir and Zoe was the lead in her school play.
Zoe, a self-described “chatterbox,” said she remembers not being able to speak correctly and having a difficult time communicating. She called it a “hard experience” and “frustrating” to know what you want to say, but not be able to get the words out.
The garrulous youth encourages people to attend the walk because, “people take talking for granted all the time but it can be taken away from someone by apraxia.”
She continued, “It’s a hard thing to overcome and we just want people to know they can find a light at the end of the dark tunnel.”
For more information, visit apraxia-kids.org/statenislandspeaksupwalk.
(Source: silive.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment