Speech Apraxia

EVERY PARENT LOOKS FORWARD TO THE DAY THEY'LL HEAR THEIR BABY'S FIRST WORDS BUT WHAT IF THEY WAIT MORE THAN TWO YEARS? THAT COULD BE THE SIGN OF A SERIOUS SPEECH DISORDER. 10-YEAR-OLD BROOKS COUNTESS HAS HAD TO WORK HARDER THAN MOST KIDS TO COMMUNICATE. HE DIDN'T START TALKING NATURALLY, THE WAY HIS BIG BROTHER DID.  BROOKS HAS CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH. THAT MEANS, FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, WHEN THE BRAIN TRIES TO TELL THE SPEAKING MUSCLES WHAT TO DO, THE MESSAGE DOESN'T GET THROUGH. AS A TODDLER, BROOKS BEGAN WORKING WITH A SPEECH THERAPIST WITH LOTS OF SUPPORT FROM MOM AND DAD. COMPARE SEVEN YEARS AGO WITH TODAY. DAVID HAMMER NEVER WORKED WITH BROOKS BUT SAYS EARLY INTERVENTION CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. BROOKS' NEW CHALLENGE IS LEARNING TO READ. EVERY CHILD IS DIFFERENT AND SOME ARE "LATE TALKERS" - MEANING THEY'LL START TO SPEAK SOMEWHAT LATER THAN THEIR PEERS. BUT EXPERTS SAY BABIES SHOULD SAY THEIR FIRST WORDS BETWEEN 12 AND 15 MONTHS AND BY TWO, BE USING WORD COMBINATIONS WITH A VOCABULARY OF 200 WORDS. IF YOU SUSPECT A PROBLEM, HAVE YOUR CHILD TESTED.