Hi, I'm Mama Mimi!

When my son was diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech, I felt lost. I could see his frustration building every day — the screaming, the fighting, the moments where he wanted to communicate so badly but couldn't. I knew something had to change, but I didn't yet know how.

I didn't "discover" sign language overnight, and I didn't suddenly teach my son to sign as a baby. In fact, I had been trying to teach him American Sign Language from a very early age. He wouldn't look at me. He wouldn't attend. He couldn't focus long enough to engage — and no amount of enthusiasm or repetition made it click.

With the help of a team — speech therapists, occupational therapists, behavioral therapists — we slowly figured out what he actually needed in order to learn. Attention had to come first. Regulation had to come first. We had to remove distractions completely.

We created a very intentional setup: my son in a quiet corner with nowhere else to go, no toys around him, no stimulation competing for his attention. We kept a large bag of toys out of sight. He would receive one new toy at a time, and to get the next one, he had to attempt the sign for "more." It wasn't easy. It wasn't fast. But then — at three and a half years old — we got his first sign.

That moment changed everything.

Once he realized that his hands could get his needs met, the screaming decreased. The frustration eased. Communication finally had a doorway. From there, it truly was off to the races — but only because so many foundational pieces were finally in place.

We tried AAC, but at the time it was too complex for him. The fine motor planning required to accurately tap buttons was overwhelming, which later led us to create the Sign and Say with Mimi AAC app — designed with motor planning and simplicity in mind.

When I spoke to my son, he would often put his hand over my mouth — not out of defiance, but because spoken language was overstimulating. Interestingly, YouTube videos didn't overwhelm him in the same way. That's how Mama Mimi videos began — not as content, but as a communication bridge.

This journey was never about one method or one breakthrough. Autism and apraxia require a whole-child approach. Regulation, sensory needs, motor planning, communication, and emotional safety all matter. And most importantly, it takes a village — a relentless one.

Mama Mimi exists because breakthroughs are possible when families are supported, when resources are shared, and when we stop pretending there's a single right way to teach a child.

Today, Mama Mimi is a resource for families navigating autism, apraxia, sensory differences, sign language, music, and alternative learning pathways — always with honesty, humility, and the reminder that every child is different. What worked for us may not work for everyone. But no family should have to feel alone while they're figuring it out.