Sign Language

May 9, 2000

At 22:13 2000-05-04 -0600, you wrote:

>

>Question for the List...How many of you are using sign languange (ALS or

home-made) to enhance language skills?

We are using " tecken som stöd " (sign as support). We use the signs from

Swedish sign language, but only sign significant words and use swedish

grammar (swedish sign language has it's own grammar).

Zacharina (non ds) did her first sign yesterday (lamp). For those of you

how sign and have a ordenary multipe; when did they pic up the signing?

Zacharina hasen't said anyting yet exept for TITTA (look).

>Not being able to communicate with my son. And even if I can, will other

people? I would love to know what your experiences have been. Any advice?

From what I have heard signing is only temporary for most kids w/ds. Once

they learn to talk they will stop signing. Even though it might take some

time...

/

Mamma till tvillingarna Xerxes (DS) och Zacharina, födda 990129.

(Mother to the twins Xerxes and Zacharina, born 1999 - 01 - 29.)

May 9, 2000

Hi ,

Sara (DS) is 5-1/2 now. We began using a few signs with her when she was 18

mo. to 24 months. I kept thinking I needed to teach her more signs; however,

she continued to add words to her vocabulary and actually the words she

signed were the first to come and then she would drop the sign, so I highly

recommend it as an option to help our little ones communicate.

Marcia

Mom to Sara (DS) and 5 and Lucas 9

May 10, 2000

Hi -

Rudy is the " older " statesman here (lol) and his speech is very poor. He

does use alot of sign and alot of Rudyisms. People who dont know sign of

course do not understand him however, at 13, Rudy has learned to " get around "

and will try to make himself understood in another way. This have really

developed in the last 2 years though.

By the way, I want to thank all of you for your thoughts and warm wishes.

Its hard going from being the caregiver to being the carereceiver but I have

possibly the best husband and definately great kids so they have been very

supportive. It has certainly given me a much better understanding of what

Rudy went through for so many years with his respitory problems and has given

me a different insight into the bravery of our children because, quite

frankly, it scared the crap out of me!!!!! God is good though and he will

see us through this little setback and life will go on. Bless you all.

Love & huge hugs for all of my " family " !!!

1

January 30, 2001

They started teaching sign language when he was 2. , if you're

serious, start with very concrete things, like mother and father, using pictures

if possible. Food items are also a good thing to teach, if you know his

favorites, even better. Also teach more, eat, and maybe something he really

likes to do. I remember really liked to swing (and now I know why <big

grin>), and I couldn't find a sign for swing. I took sit, which is the first 2

fingers of the right hand crooked over the first 2 fingers of the left hand,

made to look like they're sitting down, and then swung it like they were sitting

on a swing. The more concrete the sign the better. By concrete, I mean

something they can hold in their hand while you do the sign, something they can

actually see. Abstract concepts are still hard for at almost 11.

Wife to Dewight

Mom to , 10 yrs, DS, PDD-NOS and celiac

and , 19 months and strong-willed

Both Homeschooled

-------------------------------------------------------------

Sign up for ICQmail at http://www.icq.com/icqmail/signup.html

January 31, 2001

In a message dated 1/30/01 11:30:58 PM Eastern Standard Time,

hsmyangels@... writes:

<< Also teach more, eat, and maybe something he really likes to do. I

remember really liked to swing (and now I know why ), and I couldn't

find a sign for swing. >>

Loriann,

Swing---hold out your hand with your thumb perpendicular to the hand.

Place your opposite two fingers on top of the thumb and rock back and forth.

Swinging was one of Maddie's first obsessions, so we HAD to know that one

well!! LOLOL

Donna

January 31, 2001

<<Valarie,

Do you want a definiation of what autism is? Or do you want the

characterics (hope I spelled it right) of autism? I'll be glad to look at

the internet and find some information about anything that you want about

autism.>>

Thanks for your offer, but I do know what autism is & I also know how to

look it up on the Internet -I'm learning fast! What I wanted to know was

what kind of tests were done & what kinds of doctors people took their kids

to to get the diagnosis of autism. The parents on this List will help me

sort thru it all, but thanks for your interest. Also, I want to encourage

you to teach sign language to any of the children you babysit, whether they

have special needs or not. When I taught Kindergarten, I taught the

children a few signs - toilet being one of them. When I was teaching a

lesson or when we were in Circle, they could just sign to me " toilet "

without disrupting the class. A Kindergarten child's favourite phrase is

" Can I go to the bathroom? " LOL Take care & good luck with school.

February 1, 2001

for nahtan's testing we were at our reg doc and he

mentioned getting his behaviors looked more into etc,

so we did and it was a couple hour

interview/questions with us, and watching/observing

trying to to talk to nathan too. shawna.

--- Gordon Burnett <burnett@...> wrote:

> <<Valarie,

>

> Do you want a definiation of what autism is?

> Or do you want the

> characterics (hope I spelled it right) of autism?

> I'll be glad to look at

> the internet and find some information about

> anything that you want about

> autism.>>

>

> Thanks for your offer, but I do know what autism

> is & I also know how to

> look it up on the Internet -I'm learning fast! What

> I wanted to know was

> what kind of tests were done & what kinds of doctors

> people took their kids

> to to get the diagnosis of autism. The parents on

> this List will help me

> sort thru it all, but thanks for your interest.

> Also, I want to encourage

> you to teach sign language to any of the children

> you babysit, whether they

> have special needs or not. When I taught

> Kindergarten, I taught the

> children a few signs - toilet being one of them.

> When I was teaching a

> lesson or when we were in Circle, they could just

> sign to me " toilet "

> without disrupting the class. A Kindergarten

> child's favourite phrase is

> " Can I go to the bathroom? " LOL Take care & good

> luck with school.

>

February 7, 2001

Valarie,

I got this stuff off the internet. It's about testing to do with autism

kids. The website where I got this from is:

http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/autismrec.html,

http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/home.htm. Hope this helps.

From,

Deciding Which Tests to Do

It’s a balancing act weighing the expense of tests with their usefulness in

improving symptoms. In general, the more abnormal the results, the greater

the chance for improvements after implementing therapies. Keep in mind that

one approach never fits all cases, and we’re available for consultation. The

following recommendations are not meant to take the place of sound medical

advice from a doctor. (A doctor’s signature is necessary to do the following

tests though not necessary to order and have the sample transport containers

sent to you.)

Initial Testing Recommendations

Follow-up Testing Recommendations

Frequently Asked Questions about Autism/PDD Testing

Initial Testing Recommendations

Organic Acids Test - Virtually all specimens from children with autism or

PDD have one or more abnormal Organic Acid compounds, due to abnormal levels

of yeast and other gastrointestinal bacteria. These compounds can affect,

among other things, neurological functioning, vitamin utilization, energy

level, intestinal wall integrity, hormone utilization, and muscle function.

In addition to identification of excessive levels of GI yeast or bacteria,

the test also reveals nutritional or antioxidant deficiencies, inborn errors

of metabolism, amino or fatty acid problems, exposure to solvent toxins,

indications of possible diabetic conditions, deficiencies of B or C

vitamins, and unusual levels of neurotransmitters.

Top | Order

Yeast Culture and Sensitivity - This test should be done in combination with

the organic acid test to get the most accurate reading for yeast and

bacteria overgrowth. By doing both of these tests you will have all the

evidence your doctor needs to help you treat this problem. The urine organic

acid test is the most accurate measure of yeast, which can sometimes be

overlooked in the stool test. Yeast can sometimes attach to the intestinal

lining and will not be eliminated in the stool. In some cases, the sections

of stool where the yeast is present are not the sections that are collected

and sent in to be analyzed. Generally, however, the stool test is an

accurate test. The greatest benefit of the stool test is the sensitivity

portion of the test, which will tell you which antifungal agents your

intestinal yeast will respond best to.

Top | Order

Food Allergy - The impact of food allergies on behavior can be astounding,

and cravings are very often, for the same foods that cause allergic

reactions. And, those foods may play a role in abnormal levels of GI

organisms. We have two panels available; one that tests for 92 foods, and

another that tests for 10 of the most common foods people are allergic to.

We recommend doing one of these two panels. It is best to have the full

panel done. However, the 10 food panel is good for those who have limited

resources, or for those who do not want to wait until the yeast problem is

under control to see what food allergies they have.

Top | Order

Immune Deficiency Panel - Numerous papers document inadequate immune

functioning in this many populations, increasing the vulnerability to

bacterial/viral/fungal infections. In particular, yeast is well-documented

as suppressing the immune system. So, if there is an excessive yeast

population, it increases the likelihood of an inadequate immune response, in

turn, increasing the probability of more infections and more yeast. Our

panel is designed specifically for this patient population; for instance,

levels of zinc, and specific immune proteins like IgA and subclasses of IgG,

are often inadequate.

Top | Order

Peptide Testing for Milk and Wheat - In most cases people that have food

allergies to milk and wheat, also have problems with peptides from milk and

wheat interacting with their brain and causing an opiate-like affect.

However, there are some people that may not show a food allergy to milk or

wheat, but have the peptide problem and vice versa so it is a good idea to

have both the peptide and food allergy testing done. If you prefer to have

only one of the tests run, we recommend the food allergy testing since it

can be assumed that the majority of people who have food allergies to casein

and gluten also have the peptide problem. The peptide test is also a urine

test and thus may be more convenient.

Top | Order

Inhalants (Comprehensive or Basic) IgE - Particularly useful when allergies

to inhalants, such as dust, molds, and pollens are suspected; blood tests

have improved considerably over the years, and are especially helpful with

individuals who would have difficulty complying with skin testing or have

skin rashes; to save time; or for very young children. May also be

considerably cheaper than skin testing.

Top | Order

Follow-up Testing Recommendations

Organic Acids Test - It is helpful to re-test about 4-6 months after the

start of treatment, mainly to refine the treatment. If the original test

demonstrated undesirable levels of GI microbial metabolites exclusively,

then the less comprehensive microbial panel will suffice. The microbial

panel measures only 20 of the 62 compounds in the full organic acid profile.

Top | Order

Yeast Culture and Sensitivity - When redoing the organic acid test or

microbial panel it is a good idea to redo this test as well to see if any of

the sensitivities have changed after treating the yeast. In some cases yeast

can develop resistance to antifungals after being exposed to them. Retest

3-6 months or as needed for treatment directed by your doctor.

Top | Order

Comprehensive Food Allergy Panel - If you did the basic food allergy test

originally, or waited until the yeast problem was addressed or alleviated,

it is a good time to do this test. If you did the comprehensive food panel

first, when the yeast was present, you should follow up with this test again

to see what food allergies are still present. A lot of times food allergies

may disappear when the yeast problem is taken care of.

Top | Order

Amino Acids - Helpful in assessing causes and treatments for lethargy,

muscle weakness, vitamin deficiency, protein intolerance, vomiting, kidney

stones, inborn errors of metabolism, and seizures. Since many of these

symptoms are caused, or worsened, by elevated levels of GI yeast/bacteria,

we recommend that Amino Acid testing follow Organic Acid testing and

treatment (if indicated) for GI organisms. The Organic Acid test includes

some indicators of inborn errors of metabolism.

Top | Order

Vitamin Profile - Helpful in identifying inadequate diet, malabsorption,

poor compliance, gastric mucosal status, and causes of anemia and DNA

synthesis deficiency. The 20 vitamin profile is useful if Carnitine levels

are needed. Vitamin testing can be very important in children with diarrhea,

loose stools, or undigested food in the stool. Children who are extremely

picky eaters may also benefit from this test since their nutrient intake may

be imbalanced. Recently some researchers have found that in some cases

Vitamin A deficiency can cause vision problems in autism, and is thus

another good reason to have the vitamin levels checked.

Top | Order

Essential Fatty Acids - Deficiencies of essential fatty acids are associated

with hair loss, dry or peeling skin, diarrhea, eczema, fatigue, aggression,

dry brittle hair, eating disorders, excessive thirst, gallstones, growth

impairment, immune deficiency, hyperactivity, and impaired wound healing.

Essential fatty acids can be deficient due to inadequate dietary intake,

diarrhea, loose stools, inadequate production of pancreatic enzymes, or

inadequate production or secretion of bile or bile salts. The pattern

usually observed in children with autism is deficiency of omega-3 fatty

acids, especially alpha-linolenic acid with elevations of arachidonic acid

and trans fatty acids.

Top | Order

Arachidonic acid is extremely important since it is converted to the

regulatory substances called prostaglandins. Grains and meats from grain-fed

animals may be very high in arachidonic acid. Trans fatty acids are

unnatural fatty acids produced by hydrogenating unsaturated fatty acids.

Trans fatty acids may be especially harmful when alpha-linolenic acid is

deficient. Trans fatty acids may affect neuronal fluidity by virtue of

different dimensions compared to cis fatty acids. Trans fatty acids are high

in foods like French fries, potato chips, margarine, cookies, and cake.

Top | Order

Metals (blood, hair or urine) - Hair is useful for the detection of toxic

metals such as lead, aluminum, mercury, and cadmium. Lead may be found in

dirt near roads and is commonly present in paint from older houses. Children

with pica or who eat paint chips may develop toxic lead levels. Cadmium is

used in batteries, steel-belted tires, and plastics. The clear plastics used

to cover foods may be a source of cadmium and it is also found in cigarette

smoke. Mercury is used in batteries, dental amalgam, vacuum pumps, valves,

and seals. High amounts of mercury from the dental fillings of the cremated

deceased have caused contamination of the surrounding neighborhoods. Arsenic

is high in seafood and may also be found in animals fed arsenic in their

feed. Arsenic is also present in wood preservatives, fungicides, herbicides,

corrosion inhibitors, and in lead and copper alloys. Children with autism

may respond favorably to removal of toxic metals. Children with autism as a

group also have low values of essential elements like calcium, potassium,

zinc, and magnesium. Treatment of heavy metal exposure usually involves the

removal of the heavy metal source and/or treatment with chelating agents.

Top | Order

Frequently Asked Questions about Autism/PDD Testing

Yeast Questions

Miscellaneous Questions

Please remember that general questions about all our tests are answered in

our testing FAQ, information about payment is available on our insurance and

payment page, and questions about specific tests are usually answered on the

page about that test. (See the test listing in the lefthand menu bar.)

Yeast Questions

If my child has no external signs of yeast such as thrush or anal or genital

rashes, could he still have a yeast problem?

Yes. In many cases, a behavioral abnormality is the only clue to an

underlying yeast overgrowth.

Top | Order

Could an intermittent low-grade fever be a symptom of yeast infection?

Fever often accompanies yeast infection of the blood stream, which is termed

" systemic yeast infection. " To test for yeast in the blood, you need to have

a yeast culture and/or yeast antibody tests on the blood. The patient may

also have an intestinal yeast overgrowth.

Top | Order

My child has a white coating of the mouth. Could this be a yeast problem?

Yes. One of the most common yeast in the intestine is Candida albicans.

" Albicans " is a Latin word for white, and a white coating of the tongue may

very well be Candida.

Top | Order

My child has a yeast infection in the genital or anal area. Does this

indicate a yeast overgrowth of the intestinal tract?

Yes, it could very likely indicate such an overgrowth, but it is impossible

to know for sure without testing to confirm it.

Top | Order

My child has urinary tract infections or a vaginal yeast infections. Could

the microorganisms in the urinary tract affect the test results?

Microorganisms might contaminate the sample and lead to erroneous results if

the urine stands too long at room temperature. Consider stool testing as an

alternative in this case.

Top | Order

Can I test my infant, who is having frequent ear infections, to see if s/he

is developing abnormal yeast products?

Yes. We provide tape-on bags to collect urine samples from infants or

children who are not potty-trained. Simply check the box next to " Include a

tape-on sample collection bag... " on your test order form.

Top | Order

My child has a large number of food allergies. Could this be related to the

yeast problem? When should I get food allergies tested?

Yes, food allergies can be related to a yeast problem. Yeast can exist in

two forms: a floating single cell form or a colony form. When yeast form

colonies, they secrete enzymes such as phospholipase and proteases that

break down the lining of the intestinal tract in order to attach the yeast

colony to the intestinal wall. The holes made by the yeast produce a

condition called " leaky guy syndrome " in which large undigested food

molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream and elicit food allergies.

Once the underlying yeast problem is controlled, the holes in the intestinal

wall will heal. Then less undigested food gets into the blood and the number

of food allergies will drop.

Top | Order

Will the use of Nystatin interact adversely with other medications a patient

is taking?

Nystatin is not absorbed from the intestinal tract in an appreciable

quantity unless extremely larger doses are used. Therefore, there are no

adverse reactions with drugs such as anti-seziure medications,

antidepressants (such as Prozac or Elavil) or other medications.

If you use antifungals that are absorbed from the intestinal tracts (such as

Lamisil, Sporonox, Diflucan and Nizoral), then drug interactions must always

be considered. It's important to be aware that other drugs used

simultaneously may be more potent or make the antifungal drug more potent

when these latter drugs are used.

Top | Order

What about starting out all of these therapies at the same time?

We recommend that the antifungal therapy precede the allergy and

gluten/casein testing, since the yeast may be making the situation worse.

As far as supplements such as SuperNuthera and DMG, we recommend that they

be tried 2 months before or after the antifungal therapy so that you can

know which therapies have been the most beneficial. If you do everything

simultaneously, you won't be able to say which therapy is most helpful.

Top | Order

Could there be adverse reactions to the food colors and flavors in Nystatin?

Yes, that is a possibility. If that is the case, then you may have to use

the pure Nystatin powder and disguise it in food. One way to disguise it

might be to combine it with Stevia, a sweetener that cannot be utilized by

the yeast. Stevia is available in most large health food stores.

Top | Order

What kind of changes might I expect with the antifungal drug therapy?

Results are highly variable but the most usual improvement noted is

increased focus and concentration. Other improvements may include increased

and clearer vocalization, less spinning, decrease in aggressive or

self-abusive behavior like head-banging, better sleep pattern, increased

socialization and better eye contact.

Antifungal therapy does not appear to help individuals with normal or

marginally elevated yeast metabolites. Ultimately, antifungal therapy is not

a cure for autism by itself, but can significantly improve the life of the

individual with autism and their family.

Top | Order

Miscellaneous Questions

My child only eats bread, cereal or pasta. How can I change his diet without

starving my child?

Many parents have reported that their children may refuse the altered diet

for three or four days, then give in and eat the new foods. However, it

would be wise to consult your physician before starting the diet. A short

time without eating is not harmful to most children, but might be

significant if your child has a special medical problem like diabetes.

Top | Order

What foods have Lactobacillus acidophilus in them?

Yogurt is high in Lactobacillus acidophilus. The unflavored or plain kind is

more highly recommended than flavored, because yeast may grow in the kind

with fruit on the bottom. Some milk now also has acidophilus added. Just

read the labels.

Top | Order

What about the use of " Sara's diet " and the reported sensitivity to vitamin

A and carotenes? What can you tell me about your organic acid test and this

diet?

At this time, the organic acid test is not useful in predicting whether or

not a person will respond favorably to Sara's diet. Currently there is no

known biochemical basis for this diet.

Top | Order

Where can I get SuperNuthera (a combination of vitamin B-6, magnesium and

other vitamins)?

Kirkman Sales Company

PO Box 1009

ville, OR 97070

Phone: 800-245-8282 or 503-694-1600

Email: kirkman@...

The company provides a sheet indicating the recommended dosage and ways to

give it in food.

Top | Order

Where can I get dimethylglycine?

Wholesale Nutrition

Box 3345

Saratoga, CA 95070

Top | Order

Where can I get various antifungal supplements such as caprylic acid, MCT

oil, grapefruit seed extract or garlic extract?

All of these supplements can be obtained in health food stores or from mail

order companies. The does for children are usually not specified with these

products, and the yeast die-off reaction is usually just as severe as with

prescription drugs.

The main benefits of prescription drugs are the additional quality control

measures required for these products and the availability of pediatric

guidelines.

Top | Order

What side effects may be associated with the use of Flagyl or oral

Vancomycin to control the overgrowth of Clostridia in the intestinal tract?

The main side effects of Flagyl or Vanocmycin are probably due to the

release of bacterial toxins as the Clostridia and other bacteria die. Side

effects may be very severe and usually last from 2-10 days. A child should

be under close medical supervision while on this drug. Side effects may

include severe diarrhea, heart palpitations, extreme lethargy and fever with

drenching sweats.

A child should not start both the Flagyl/Vancomycin and antifungal therapy

simultaneously because the combined die-off reaction may be too severe.

Both Flagyl and Vancomycin will kill the friendly bacteria and it is very

important to start Lactobacillus acidophilus as soon as the

Flagyl/Vancomycin therapy stops or there will be a recurrence of the

Clostridia or a yeast overgrowth. It is OK to continue Nystatin during

Flagyl/Vancomycin therapy. Just don't start the antifungal and antibacterial

therapies simultaneously.

_________________________________________________________________

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August 25, 2009

Good morning,

Figured people probably wanted a new topic to talk about (other than jello

--- not getting into that again just a joke).

So, I had a couple of questions for those experienced long before I have

entered this puzzle called life.

1. I continue to try to get Noah (3months now) into therapy. My

doctor says because of his inability at this age no matter what to walk,

crawl etc, there would be no point in putting him in physical therapy yet.

And because he can't talk why would we put him in speech therapy yet.

Problem being therapy places won't take me without referral from doctor. I

went to a second doctor who agreed with first doctor. So now I am on 4

month waiting list for early intervention And in the mean time they are

coming out once in a while and doing some basic " preliminary assessments " .

Other than that I can't get him any therapy. Very Very frustrating because

everything I read and hear is therapy should start right away. So for the

question. How soon should therapy start, and what kinds of therapy, how

often etc. in your opinions/experience.

2. One of the early intervention representatives recommended that I

begin thinking about teaching Noah sign language (even at his age), as well

as his 2 year old sister sign language, to assist them in communicating with

each other as well as us. They suggested that there was some " program

(didn't specify television, computer, what) that was really beneficial.

Thought I'd see what everyone's experience was with that so I could begin

working on that.

Other than that I am grateful I don't have to deal with schools yet reading

everyone's posts, and realize that it is a short while away.

For quick update. The Dr.'s moved Noah's surgery up and we had it last

week. After open heart surgery, repair and 2 day recovery in the hospital

we are home and he is doing much better. Growing. Smiling. Laughing.

Sucking his thumb. All at 3 months. Who would have thought J

Thanks in advance for your insight.

August 25, 2009

,

My daughter had her initial evaluation when she was just 1 week old. It

is hard to remember that far back, Dani is now 19, but I do remember the

therapist giving us exercises to do with her that would help strengthen

her muscles. I also remember the speech therapist giving us a Nuk

toothbrush that we used to stimulate her mouth and muscles around her

mouth before each feeding. We also used sign language which the speech

therapist taught to us and we used it. As far at teaching sign language

to your 2 year old - don't worry about it - as you use it with Noah she

will pick it up too. My sister babysat le while I worked. He

son, who is a year younger than Dani learned sign language from her

using it. Little kids suck up everything - she will learn it right along

with the rest of you.

Jackie Boyd

mom to Dani, 19ds, and , 22

Boruchowitz wrote:

>

> Good morning,

>

> Figured people probably wanted a new topic to talk about (other than jello

> --- not getting into that again just a joke).

>

> So, I had a couple of questions for those experienced long before I have

> entered this puzzle called life.

>

> 1. I continue to try to get Noah (3months now) into therapy. My

> doctor says because of his inability at this age no matter what to walk,

> crawl etc, there would be no point in putting him in physical therapy yet.

> And because he can't talk why would we put him in speech therapy yet.

> Problem being therapy places won't take me without referral from doctor. I

> went to a second doctor who agreed with first doctor. So now I am on 4

> month waiting list for early intervention And in the mean time they are

> coming out once in a while and doing some basic " preliminary assessments " .

> Other than that I can't get him any therapy. Very Very frustrating because

> everything I read and hear is therapy should start right away. So for the

> question. How soon should therapy start, and what kinds of therapy, how

> often etc. in your opinions/experience.

>

> 2. One of the early intervention representatives recommended that I

> begin thinking about teaching Noah sign language (even at his age), as

> well

> as his 2 year old sister sign language, to assist them in

> communicating with

> each other as well as us. They suggested that there was some " program

> (didn't specify television, computer, what) that was really beneficial.

> Thought I'd see what everyone's experience was with that so I could begin

> working on that.

>

> Other than that I am grateful I don't have to deal with schools yet

> reading

> everyone's posts, and realize that it is a short while away.

>

> For quick update. The Dr.'s moved Noah's surgery up and we had it last

> week. After open heart surgery, repair and 2 day recovery in the hospital

> we are home and he is doing much better. Growing. Smiling. Laughing.

> Sucking his thumb. All at 3 months. Who would have thought J

>

> Thanks in advance for your insight.

>

August 25, 2009

Yes, please don't make me throw jello at you :0)

What state do you live in?

started early intervention at 6 weeks! She received physical, speech and

developmental (which was a combo of physical and speech). The (idiots) doctors

who told you physical was not necessary...go ask them how to keep Noah's legs

from flopping? How to align his shoulders the proper way so he can reach up for

toys that hang over him (normally low muscle tone and loose joints make it much

more difficult for a child to bring their arms up to touch the toys, but

there are tricks that PT's know and can teach you to do with him everyday). Ask

them how can you help him learn to sit up PROPERLY, since that is very important

for his posture and development.

As for speech...ask them how you are supposed to determine how he eats, when he

is ready for solid food. Our kids usually move food around their mouths

differently, and ask them how are you supposed to know if Noah has low muscle

tone in his mouth and what types of activities you can do with him to help

strengthen those muscles. How is he supposed to learn how to drink from a

straw? Speech therapists don't just teach your kiddo how to talk...ours taught

how to do a rasberry...which was a big deal!!

We were also encouraged to use sign language, and all of 's therapists used

it with her. We started with simple signs like " more " , " juice " , " milk " ,

" cookie " ...I just bought a book on American Sign Language and as her speech

therapist would teach the sign, I would use it, too. We started teaching

signs at about 6 months...she couldn't do them, but she saw us doing them. Once

she started talking, she dropped the signs.

I really like the Woodbine series of books...Gross Motor skills in children with

Down syndrome, Fine Motor skills, Early Communication skills. I'm sitting here

shaking my head at these doctors, only because they remind me of 's first

pediatrician who told me she would never be smarter than an 8 year old and her

first specialist (in Down syndrome) who basically said the same

thing...IDIOTS!!! I've mailed them each a letter, a picture and a copy of her

progress from her specialist every year...and since she turned 8 this year, I

asked both of them if they thought maybe they should have their medical license

re-examined.

I realize that not all children have the same level of abilities, BUT, they all

have the right to early intervention as soon as possible so they can reach their

highest level of potential. No doctor can tell you what Noah can and cannot

do...he can't possibly know that. It makes me mad that you had two different

doctors tell you such a stupid thing...he's not walking, so he doesn't need

physical therapy. Want to hear something funny? Once started walking, I

was told she no longer needed physical therapy BECAUSE she was walking.

Moyers

Kay Independent Beauty Consultant

832-816-7992

www.marykay.com/jendmoyers

________________________________

From: Boruchowitz <dboruchowitz@...>

< >

Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2009 3:07:44 PM

Subject: Sign Language