Apraxia Awareness Day Declared In West Haven

WEST HAVEN, CT — (Pictured): Forest Elementary School second grader Nicholas Gorske receives a proclamation from Mayor Nancy R. Rossi, left, declaring Apraxia Awareness Day in West Haven on Friday.

Shown with them are, from left, Forest Principal Thomas J. Hunt; Nicholas’ aunt, Aryanna Gorske; second grade teacher Shayne Fischman; his mother and grandmother, Anna Gorske and Judy Torello; paraprofessional Cynthia Russello; speech language pathologist Jennifer Sandberg; Katie Burdzel, a speech language pathology intern at Southern Connecticut State University; and special education teacher Elena Ermini.

Ethan Kubicko, a sixth grader at Carrigan Intermediate School, also received a mayoral proclamation for Apraxia Awareness Day.

Nicholas and Ethan have childhood apraxia of speech, or CAS, an uncommon speech disorder in which a child has difficulty making accurate movements when speaking.

To increase awareness of the speech disorder for the fourth straight year, the students recently contacted Rossi about declaring the special day in West Haven.

“The city encourages public awareness of childhood apraxia of speech and recognizes that it is essential for families of children with apraxia and the professionals who support them to achieve the needed services for those learning to use their own voices,” Rossi said.