When we lived in Nepean, Catherine, the 5 year old who lived 2 doors down from us had a stroke. That year in Ottawa there were 5 children with stroke. Recently, in doing some research in the schools, I was talking to an Education Assistant. The 9 year old she was supervising was sitting with us at the table. The weakness in her right arm and leg was obvious, but when I talked to her, this assistant explained to me that she was non-verbal and she didn’t really know how much she understood. I asked if she had any experience with aphasia and whether this young girl was receiving speech therapy. She said she had never heard the word and that she had had speech therapy in the past, but she had not had speech therapy since she started working with her. I explained that my husband had a stroke and aphasia and that although he understood everything, sometimes he has difficulty speaking. When I asked the 9 year old how many children there were in her family, she struggled to say what she wanted to say, but I understood three. “Three children”—I said back to her, “Are you the youngest or the oldest?” She was able to say which. Not easily understandable, but for someone used to understanding someone with aphasia and an “aphasia dialect” as we call it at home, it was clear to me and to her Education Assistant that she understood and could say more than anyone thought she could.A British childhood stroke study suggests that the number of children with stroke is about the same as the number of children who are diagnosed with cancer.
If that is the case, why don’t we hear more about childhood stroke? Often children who have had a stroke are diagnosed as having cerebral palsy or a brain injury. The Canadian Stroke Network has recognized that childhood stroke resources are needed. They have developed a guide that can be found at A Family Guide To Paediatric Stroke from Canadian Stroke Network 2011.
Have you had a child who had a stroke?
How did you find services and supports?
Would you like to talk to other parents of children who had a stroke?
Other resources:
No comments:
Post a Comment