Speech Spotlight: Marcus Weller

Marcus Weller, age 9, has been participating in the Amina Grace Speech and Language Program since April.  Marcus’s parents enrolled him in the program because “Marcus has a lot of trouble with his speech.  He has apraxia and has a hard time forming his sounds.”  He is a very hard worker and knows the routine and expectations during speech sessions.   Marcus is very motivated by watching softball videos in between drill activities.  “He really likes going to the playhouse for programs.  He enjoys having a structured program to help him practice his speech sounds and having the handouts to help him continue practicing specific target sounds and sound combinations at home. (And he loves playing a round of air hockey in the playhouse after he has worked hard in his session,” Marcus’s mom reports.  When asked about Marcus’s speech outside of his speech sessions, his mom said, “It seems like he is more confident about trying to say different words.  It’s a long process, but as he continues to practice his speech he continues to become more intelligible when trying to get his ideas across.” Marcus is very social and has a lot he wants to express.  Mom stated, “We are so grateful to GiGi’s Playhouse for offering this program. Marcus has private speech therapy once a week, and group speech therapy at school.  He’s very bright and communicative, but his speech is very hard to understand and sometimes he has trouble getting his ideas across.  The more he can practice and work on his speech and language, the better he’ll be able to express himself and hopefully succeed at whatever endeavors he undertakes!”   We truly enjoy Marcus’s weekly visits the playhouse.  He has a contagious smile and is a fantastic participant.   We are excited to see him continue making progress.