Re: Can V. Apraxia qualify for SSI

[Guest guest]

shilo,

i am in the exact same position you are. i would love to hear others imput

too.

i have 2 boys. franny is 4.8 has pdd nos, severe apraxia, and oppostional

disorder. i've never heard of the verbal iq test. what is it? we just tried

to get an iq test on monday with no success. he is very bright but he would

not cooperate. so the test was not done.

my 3 yr old, alex, is moderate to severe autistic with mental retardation.

we also tried to get an iq test on him monday. he couldn't do the test.

our psychologist with the intermediate unit (chester county pa) sent the dept

of public welfare a note stating alex qualifies as mentally retarted. this

was enough to get the ball rolling for additional assistance. we hope to get

money for therapy, specifically, auditory integration therapy. we are trying

for the infants toddlers and families waiver which the PA dept of mental health

mental retardation offers.

http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/general/hacbbrocITFW.asp#ITF (copy & paste)

tomorrow the intake coordinator is coming to start the paperwork.

i am also going to push franny getting this service, as he cannot function in

the world due to his apraxia.

it is my understanding that SSI is determined by the parents' income. there

is an on-line test in www.ssa.gov to determine eligibilty.

i will write back in a few days to let you know how is goes with my

insistence that franny should qualify for the waiver.

teresa

> You guys know I've had alot of problems with 's school providing speech

therapy and OT, No matter how much info I bring in, they don't care.

> I was wishing I could put in private school, but we can't afford

it, atleast we do qualify for the medical card.

> Anyways I just wondered if anyone was able to qualify for SSI with just

Apraxia diagnosis only.

> A) I do think it's severe enough , because performed in the 2nd

percentile on his verbal I.Q. test , which would make him serverely mentally

retarded, (But he's not) But this is a life that is mainly lived through verbal

communication.

> Apraxia is a life long condition right? (Only I think in a couple

years it will be hardly noticed.) I hope anyways! ( they go by if it's a life

long condition though)

> Do I think he would qualify, No. But it's worth a shot if any of you have

been successful, so that I could pay for private school. So does anyone recieve

SSI?

> Thanks, Shilo mother of 4.7 years old

>

>

[Guest guest]

Try Try Try

I never thought Randy would and at the time that we applied he had lots of

ear infections and his sppech dont even know if it was even dx'd then and he was

approved. SSI Is a pain in the neck there are lots of paper top fill out etc

and then they can still tell you no but it is worth it Good Luck and if you

need any help let me know

Amy Mom to Randy BP, ODD, ADHD, traits of OCD, Speech Apraxia, Auto Immune

Definciecy Risperdal .25 mg am .50mg pm

Elissa 10 Homeschooled And as normal as you can be living int his nuthouse

Danny DH(sometimes) BP too I believe but would never admit it

[Guest guest]

and Shilo,

Forget the money and services you believe you could receive -both of

your children are now classified as mentally retarded due to verbal

based IQ testing. You wrote:

" he is very bright but he would not cooperate...he cannot function in

the world due to his apraxia " -

" because performed in the 2nd

percentile on his verbal I.Q. test , which would make him serverely

mentally retarded, (But he's not) But this is a life that is mainly

lived through verbal communication. " -Shilo

Deaf children are not required to live a life through verbal

communication -have not been for years. A society we are now aware

expecting a hearing impaired or deaf individual to communicate

verbally is discriminatory.

Apraxic and other verbal disabled children can do anything anyone

else can do -at times even talk well most of the time as they get

older and learn to overcome it.

Of course it is possible that your two children are mentally

retarded, however it is not common for the average apraxic child.

Apraxia in itself is not a cognitive disorder -it is a motor

planning disorder.

to answer your question -Verbal based IQ (or receptive)

testing means one requires verbal responses to answer questions -a

verbal based response would be answering the question by talking

rather than by nonverbal methods of communication such as pointing.

It's actually quite sad how obviously inaccurate this type of

testing would be to assess the receptive or cognitive ability of one

with a verbal disability, and yet continued to be used and the

results accepted rampantly all over by otherwise intelligent

professionals. It's also sad how many professionals -as well as

parents, are not aware that this type of testing done on a verbal

disabled child is a violation of their child's civil rights.

As far as money for SSI because your child tested as mentally

retarded -may want to talk to Robin and .

http://www.cherab.org/news/.html They are in the middle of a

law suit and I can tell you that no amount of money will ever bring

back the life inappropriate testing brought her. As far as

the innocent belief you state that the current diagnosis of MR will

now pay for " appropriate services " because your child tested as MR?

Services for a child that viewed as MR are only appropriate if your

child really is MR. In addition -expect therapies to be cut short

in just a few years -after all -your child is " MR " so no amount of

therapy will help your child talk -better face the truth Mr. and

Mrs. ____ because " we have done all we could " I'm not making this

stuff up guys -just letting you know what I hear over and over. The

kids keep falling through the cracks, that includes your child if in

fact the diagnosis of MR is inaccurate - unless you stop it -now.

http://www.cherab.org/news/verbaldisabledtest.html

If your child has average to above average intelligence as most

children with apraxia do, and verbal based IQ and receptive tests

were used - -then allowing that child to be classified and diagnosed

as MR as a result of these tests to me is the most cruel form of

child abuse by our society -and again -it's illegal. Thing is this

needs to be reported in order to protect your child and all those

like him or her. Unless you are sure the MR diagnosis is accurate

(those who are knowledgeable about motor planning and other

disorders of speech gave appropriate nonverbal receptive testing)

then refuse the diagnosis -and the 'Monkey's Paw' money from it.

Here is more on this from updates -and just one of the additions to

The Late Talker paperback edition:

Pg 43 before " here are the more popular tests or scales that your

SLP may

use "

" " Make sure the testing conditions work for your late talker child.

Verbally delayed or impaired children will obviously score poorly on

a

receptive test that requires verbal responses. It is possible to do

speech

and language testing for receptive ability even with children that

are

essentially nonverbal. In these cases, the examiner can look at

other forms

of functional communication, including the use of gestures, formal

sign

language, pictures, and augmentative communication devices "

Please add this test to list of nonverbal IQ tests, to follow

(KABC) for

children four years old and older, the Universal Nonverbal

Intelligence Test

(UNIT) for children five years old and up,.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ for those that never heard of the UNIT.

" Universal Nonverbal Intelligence TestT (UNITT)

Bruce A. Bracken, R. Steve McCallum

The Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT) is designed to

provide a

fair, comprehensive, standardized, and norm-referenced assessment of

general

intelligence with entirely nonverbal administration and response

formats. A

major goal in developing UNIT was to ensure fairness for all

students,

irrespective of race, ethnicity, sex, language, country of origin,

and

hearing status.

Unlike many nonverbal tests which include just matrices, the UNIT

subtests

require multiple response modes, including use of manipulatives,

paper and

pencil, and pointing. The materials and test stimuli are designed to

be

relatively universal and cross-cultural. The subtests were developed

to

engage and interest children across races, ethnicities, and

cultures. "

Comparison to other nonverbal IQ tests

http://www.riverpub.com/products/clinical/unit/unit_comp.html

" Summary of assessment procedures

Children with significant language and motor skills delays

E. Friedle, Ph.D.

Clinical/Neuropsychologist

Formalized assessment of children with low incidence disablitities

does not

often provide accurate or practical information about their cognitive

functioning skills. Such assessmenet does provide evidence that

these

children often have not learned how to respond in direct one-to-one

reciprocal testing situations, or that they are unable to respond in

those

situations due to the nature of their disabilities. The lack of

response

should not be considered then, necessarily, as a global and fixed

delay in

cognitive/intellectual potential. Developmental theorists and

practitioners

have long known that cognitive growth is not only enhanced, but also

dependent upon opportunities to experience a wide variety of sensory

stimuli

in an interactive relationship. Problem solving skills, analytical

reasoning, and decision-making are all formalized, cognitively, when

integration of information is ongoing. Language and motor skill

limitations

often prevent the integration and experiences and thus certain

cognitive

growth waits until such experiences may be provided. Children may

have

learned to problem-solve and reason in ways that are not assessed by

formalized evaluations and are only recognizable when the child is

allowed

to experience sensory information in a manner most productive to

them. It

is often then necessary for the examiner to assess what

opportunities and

experiences the child may have had already, how an assessment may

prompt the

child to show what they can do with various stimuli and how problem

solving,

analytical, and decision making skills can be exhibited by a child

in a

non-formalized approach.

The purpose of an assessment request has to be relevant to the child

and to

their experiences, i.e. the child needs to see some purpose for

providing a

response. A very simple example of this premise is: asking them to

name an

object may result in no response, but asking them to get the object

may show

a knowledgeable response.

Children with language and motor deficits often play within the

restrictions

that their limitations have presented and this " changed " pattern of

play,

from what is seen with non-disabled children, can be a direct

reflection of

their ability to problem solve and reason in play. An example for

this may

be when a child finds that laying things down and flat makes it

easier to

manipulate, or that moving things closer or out of the way

facilitates motor

planning and play. Often the child may see no purpose to expand

experiences, or have not figured out independently how to change

their play

patterns.

Restrictions in movement or language limit the experiences a child

has had

with objects and stimuli. The need to practice simple movements, to

hear

the words that go along with those movements, and then to ask a

child to

duplicate the movements and/or the words can greatly facilitate

cognitive

growth. If a child can readily make such duplicated responses then

the

potential for cognitive growth at that point presents no

limitations. An

examiner can lead the play situation in these types of activities

and note

the ability of the child to engage in the " play " at a different

level. The

purpose is then presented clearly for the child, both for the

language and

for the movement, and thus becomes an active part of their

developmental

growth and understanding. Sometimes showing them or asking them to

change

their approach results in a larger perspective of possibilities in

play.

The examiner is an active participant in the assessment approach,

engaged

with the child in the semi-directed play type of assessment. The

examiner

notes closely when a child shows a lack of understanding of the

language

presented or an inability to make the movements requested. At all

times the

examiner is assessing how well the child appears to follow the

purpose of

the activity or the change in direction of an activity. "

=====

[Guest guest]

A severe communications disorder which inhibits a child's ability to

communicate wants and needs can qualify for SSI. It takes a while to go

through and they'll look at it real close, but you've got a shot. I wasn't

sure if hope would qualify either, but she got it. Of course she has

seizure that even with medication for over a year were still occuring, so

that really put her over the top. I look at it as anything that will help

the kids, go for.

Toni

[ ] Can V. Apraxia qualify for SSI

You guys know I've had alot of problems with 's school providing

speech therapy and OT, No matter how much info I bring in, they don't care.

I was wishing I could put in private school, but we can't

afford it, atleast we do qualify for the medical card.

Anyways I just wondered if anyone was able to qualify for SSI with

just Apraxia diagnosis only.

A) I do think it's severe enough , because performed in the 2nd

percentile on his verbal I.Q. test , which would make him serverely mentally

retarded, (But he's not) But this is a life that is mainly lived through

verbal communication.

Apraxia is a life long condition right? (Only I think in a couple

years it will be hardly noticed.) I hope anyways! ( they go by if it's a

life long condition though)

Do I think he would qualify, No. But it's worth a shot if any of you

have been successful, so that I could pay for private school. So does anyone

recieve SSI?

Thanks, Shilo mother of 4.7 years old

[Guest guest]

Yeah it's a pain in the neck, but so worth it. They base a lot on the

parent's income, so there are months that Hope doesn't get a check because

of Lane's hours at work. But other months she gets it with no problem. The

big plus is with SSI hope automatically got Medicaid even though she has

medical insurance. That back up is nice because any expenses for testing

or whatever that our insurance denies automatically gets submitted to

Medicaid and gets paid.

I just keep an envelope on my bulletin board in my office where I put all

the paystubs for the month so I can send those in. Hope's caseowrker at the

local office is real nice too, so if she needs anything she calls and I send

it along with the paystubs, or she has me fax it in. Gotta love those

copier/fax machine/computer printers. :-) she's also helping me out with

the paperwork for Faith to apply for SSI due to her cognative delays, and

walking me through my own disability application.

Toni W. - BP mom to

Hope, 3, Seizure disorder, Verbal apraxia, Migraines

and

Faith, 2, mild CP, hypotonia, cognative delays, asthma

Re: [ ] Can V. Apraxia qualify for SSI

Try Try Try

I never thought Randy would and at the time that we applied he had lots of

ear infections and his sppech dont even know if it was even dx'd then and

he was

approved. SSI Is a pain in the neck there are lots of paper top fill out

etc

and then they can still tell you no but it is worth it Good Luck and if

you

need any help let me know

Amy Mom to Randy BP, ODD, ADHD, traits of OCD, Speech Apraxia, Auto Immune

Definciecy Risperdal .25 mg am .50mg pm

Elissa 10 Homeschooled And as normal as you can be living int his nuthouse

Danny DH(sometimes) BP too I believe but would never admit it

[Guest guest]

It's funny you ask this question because it's all still confusing

to me but we live in Ga., southwest of Atlanta. My son is 3.4 and

is just apraxic but does show some sensory problems as well. I

don't know what every state's policy is but we applied for

the " Deeming Waiver " was once called the " Beckett Waiver. "

The deeming waiver is a way to get Medicaid for a child when the

parents' income is too high for them to qualify for supplemental

security income. Irroncially, (not sure if that's spelled

correctly) the first step to applying for the Deeming Waiver is to

get DENIED from SSI. I remember when I started the whole process

when I called social security they were so confused when I told them

I needed a letter stating that my son would not qualify for SSI.

Anyway, it's was lots of paperwork on my part and typing up a social

history and medical plan having his pediatrician sign papers, which

he was more than happy to do and after waiting for about two months,

we were approved!! It has been wonderful having this supplemental

insurance. Just like someone else stated, whatever our insurance

doesn't pay, the medicaid picks up. That includes any therapies,

visits to doctors, and medications. It's been WELL worth the time

and hassel! When you stated you do qualify for a medical card I

wasn't sure if you meant " medicaid " or not or if you DO qualify for

SSI and were wondering if apraxia alone is enough? Again, it's all

so confusing and can give you a headache real quick! Hope I didn't

confuse you more but feel free to email me if you have any questions

about my son's qualifications.

Good Luck,

Robin, Mommy to Cameron apraxic and Cara 19months

[Guest guest]

Hi....I know this is a little late, but I wanted to

give my input. My son 8 years has Verbal

Apraxia. I have kept all of his IEP Records etc and

went to Social Security to file for SSI. I have been

through the SSI/SSA loop fighting to get it for my

husband and other family members. If you are filing

for SSI for your child getting accepted depends on the

State Requirements. In CA you file at Social Security

Office but then it goes to the medical evaluation

board/unit at the state capitol .....Sacramento. If

he is not approved then file appeals, then ask for a

hearing. It all depends on medical board and their

views and requirements for Apraxia/learning

disabilities. Also yes it does depend on the parents

income. If the parents get too much (in their view)

then your child can be disabled but your out of luck

because they will say you make too much to get it for

the child. To whomever applies, good luck and make

sure to have a good paper trail.

Laurie

--- tuddytw@... wrote:

> i have 2 boys. franny is 4.8 has pdd nos, severe

> apraxia, and oppostional

> disorder. i've never heard of the verbal iq test.

> what is it? we just tried

> to get an iq test on monday with no success. he is

> very bright but he would

> not cooperate. so the test was not done.

>

> my 3 yr old, alex, is moderate to severe autistic

> with mental retardation.

> we also tried to get an iq test on him monday. he

> couldn't do the test.

>

> our psychologist with the intermediate unit (chester

> county pa) sent the dept

> of public welfare a note stating alex qualifies as

> mentally retarted. this

> was enough to get the ball rolling for additional

> assistance. we hope to get

> money for therapy, specifically, auditory

> integration therapy. we are trying

> for the infants toddlers and families waiver which

> the PA dept of mental health

> mental retardation offers.

>

http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/general/hacbbrocITFW.asp#ITF

> (copy & paste)

> tomorrow the intake coordinator is coming to start

> the paperwork.

>

> i am also going to push franny getting this service,

> as he cannot function in

> the world due to his apraxia.

>

> it is my understanding that SSI is determined by the

> parents' income. there

> is an on-line test in www.ssa.gov to determine

> eligibilty.

>

> i will write back in a few days to let you know how

> is goes with my

> insistence that franny should qualify for the

> waiver.

>

> teresa