More Than Words: My Journey With Speech 🗣💬
- lauriannclarke
- Jul 11
- 2 min read
Speaking is one of the most difficult skills for me. It’s something many people take for granted, but for someone like me, with Down syndrome, it comes with extra challenges.
Once again, it all goes back to hypotonia—low muscle tone—and also the unique anatomy of my mouth. My palate is small compared to my tongue. For a long time, researchers believed that people with Down syndrome just had a large tongue, which is why it often sticks out or causes drooling. But the truth is, it's usually not that the tongue is too big—it’s that the mouth and palate are smaller than average, making the tongue appear larger and affecting how we form sounds.
This makes speech difficult, and it also makes it harder for me to be understood. It doesn’t mean I don’t have anything to say. I have a lot to say. But when people don’t understand my speech, some assume I don’t understand them—or worse, that I’m not capable of thinking or communicating. That’s just not true.
I’ve been working with a speech therapist since I was two months old. Yup—two months! That’s how early we started helping my muscles and mouth learn how to move for speech. Between the ages of 2 and 4, I used sign language to express myself. I would sign words to tell my family what I wanted, how I felt, and what I needed. Signing gave me the power to communicate even when my mouth couldn’t quite keep up.
As I got older and started learning to write and spell, I could use that to express myself, too. Writing opened a new world for me. Now, I even have a phone, and I can text! Technology has helped me have conversations in ways that don’t rely just on speech.
People often think communication is only about talking—but it’s so much more. It’s about listening, paying attention, and being open to different ways of expressing yourself. Sometimes that means slowing down, being patient, and giving someone like me time to share what’s on my mind.
And trust me—I always have something to say.
So next time you meet someone who communicates differently, pause and listen with more than just your ears. You might just hear something amazing.
🧠💬🫶
Comments