Re: Not apraxia?

June 27, 2006

I would go to a neuropsychologist or a developmental ped for a

thorough eval. It will be easier to get the right therapies in place

once you know exactly what his issues are. The therapists all have

their own view, but they aren't qualified to diagnose.

good luck,

>

> We recently got a private PROMPT trained SLP for my son (26 mos).

> She's only seen him a couple of times but last time said that

> perhaps he might not have apraxia because his vowel sounds are

> consistent. She thinks maybe it's a combination of muscle weakness

> and body awareness issues. (She did say his saying something and

> not being able to say it again was consistent with apraxia though.)

> He hasn't been officially evaluated yet, but so far we have one SLP

> (through EI) who thinks he has PDD and some " apraxic-like symptoms, "

> one OT who doesn't really think he has PDD but isn't really sure but

> does suspect apraxia, an SLP who doesn't think he has PDD or

> apraxia. Oh yeah, and a confused mom. Any comments??

>

> He is making more sounds and imitating us more. I tried an exercise

> I read about in the Late Talker book (in the appendix that described

> Tanner's therapy). I tried getting him to do the same vowel with a

> different consonant at the end (an, at, ab, am, ad, etc), which

> we've never really tried before. Mostly we just try to get him to

> repeat consonant+vowel (ba, da, la, etc). Anyway, he seemed to say

> the consonant first ( " ab " became " ba " for example). Any thoughts on

> this? Maybe he's not ready for this exercise yet?

>

June 27, 2006

If apraxia is suspected -you need to take your child to a neuroMD.

(developmental pediatrician or pediatric neurologist)

Make sure you seek out one who is knowledgeable about apraxia and other

multifaceted communication impairments.

Also, as I always say you have to find professionals who are used to

working with children on EFAs if you want to know what's normal for

an apraxic child on them. In the scheme of things it doesn't matter

if they don't consider it apraxia but continue to provide

appropriate therapy to help the child continue to improve and

overcome, but my fear is the " cure " word used when it may not be

appropriate. As you'll see in the message archives from just 2

years ago I used to believe all that left had children that were

resolved. I know now that leaving here didn't mean that was the

case. It meant that they no longer viewed " late talking "

or " speech " as an issue. Apraxic is multifaceted. Do all the

children here with constipation have it because of the apraxia? In

some way probably yes since it's too common.

Since this group has been around both in person and then virtual

since 1999, there are thousands that have come and gone and probably

just a small percentage that stuck around since 1999 or close to it -

like Kathy! Most of those that have grown with the group have

children that are still showing some subtle signs of apraxia -but

are mainstreamed and doing really well! That's awesome!

I've also since had the chance in the past two years to speak to a

number of parents who left the group after the EFAs " worked " years

ago who's child started kindergarten at 5. They didn't know what we

learned about that -they thought they learned all they could here.

Thing is as our children grow we continue to learn and share more.

Most of the parents that left after the EFAs worked started the

child in kindergarten at 5. And then either right then or shortly

after child was put into special ed classes schooled as learning

disabled and was there since. The parents I talked to thought what

was happening in school had nothing to do with apraxia. We know

better now.

Whether it's called apraxia or not, whether the child is able to

say " cup " or even " elephant " on command or not, doesn't mean that

child is able to use developmentally appropriate complex words in

sentences and doesn't mean that in some ways that child isn't still

apraxic. It also doesn't mean that child has a learning disability

and doesn't mean the child isn't capable of being mainstreamed and

doing incredible! Like my son Tanner.

http://www.cherab.org/information/familiesrelate/letter.html

We need to be aware that apraxia probably has stages and most only

know the one stage. I have my theory of the stages below in the

archives. Being aware will keep our children in the mainstream in

school and life -and isn't that what we all want? Our children grow

and we can continue to learn how to help them.

In your son's case the example you give of the mix up of the

consonants is a classic apraxia sign. And the not being able to

repeat on demand sign -I predict that like most here on the right

EFAs -that sign too will fade or disappear. In fact once on the

right EFAs, most apraxic children can repeat words they learned on

demand. Does that mean they no longer are apraxic? Possibly -but I

can tell you that apraxic or not -most still require and benefit

from " apraxia " and multisensory therapy!

archive from early 2003

Re: Met 8 yo w/ resolved apraxia

Wed Feb 12, 2003 9:55 pm

kiddietalk@...> "

Hi !

Our children could fit the classic text book description of apraxia

and be diagnosed apraxic -there still would be no way to know for

sure if that diagnosis is correct. Even still -it's best to treat

even those children diagnosed with " suspected " apraxia as apraxic

just in case - because if it is apraxia -you want to get to them as

early as possible.

Until there is a blood or genetic test to know for sure if your late

talker is apraxic -autistic -dysarthric -etc -any diagnosis could be

wrong...or perhaps there was an overlap of more than one -or perhaps

that child just had a simple delay in speech and will be one of

those children we all prayed our children would be one of -those

that just " started talking "

I know quite a few people -some still part of our group who at one

point received a diagnosis of autism or PDD or apraxia -or all of

the above at various times during the journey -who are talking just

fine and mainstreamed now. If a child is a late talker and has

other symptoms presenting -making it a " multi faceted communication

impairment " there is less of a chance that it was just a " simple

delay in speech "

Some success stories that made me cry and gave me goose bumps were

children presenting quote severe -not just as a " late talkers " but

with also a list of other symptoms - mild hypotonia, DSI, motor

planning impairments in the body, no eye contact, behavioral

problems, social problems, etc. Stories where the parents were

giving up hope.

The most important thing for the sake of the future of all late

talkers going ahead is to find out the answers through research.

The most important thing to us as parents is much more personal -

it's to have our child start talking -something the average person

takes for granted. I believe that unlike cancer " survivors " that

stay around to help others that are newly diagnosed -most parents

of " resolved apraxia " move on and don't look back once their child

is talking. Meanwhile all of the newly diagnosed parents are left

asking mostly each other -who are also newly diagnosed -how did that

happen?

I could say the answer that the parent of this

(mis)diagnosed (?) apraxic child was (fill in the blank)

A. put the child into an intensive early intervention therapy

program -and it will be asked " what type of therapy? "

B. put the child on a special diet -and it will be asked " what type

of diet "

C. put the child on EFAs -and it will be asked " did you do therapy

too? "

I'm past those questions the average person asks now. Therapy, diet

and EFAs are all important to almost all of our children -and yet

the most amazing -the cheapest -and the most overlooked and taken

for granted are the EFAs. We should put a picture of Rodney

Dangerfield www.rodney.com on the label of ProEFA

Check the archives if you want proof and email people in private off

list or go to another list. There are children who are autistic or

PDD or apraxia according to various respected speech or medical

professionals who within one to three weeks of EFAs have surges.

Most don't go to sentences in three weeks -just a word or two -but

many keep that surge going and start attempting sentences from being

nonverbal in about 3 months -which is unheard of for a child with

severe apraxia years ago. Even more amazing -a child on EFAs that

is apraxic can repeat the word over and over if you ask. Without

EFAs -that's a sign of apraxia that they can't repeat when asked.

I always ask now when someone tells me how great their child is

doing and without knowing their child's on EFAs " So how long after

you started them on EFAs did the surge in speech come? " -and the

answer is almost 100% of the time - " oh -now that you mention it I

guess it was the same time " . Why don't people bring this up for the

most part and let the new parents know the whole story before they

leave our group and leave all of the new parents in the dark as to

how they got across that bridge?

I heard an off the cuff remark from one neuromedical MD (so I have to

ask if I can say the name of which one) " children diagnosed with

syndromes are no longer presenting with the symptoms of the syndrome

once on the EFAs " and Dr. Agin when interviewed on PBS said " it

appears that the EFAs help the brain to " rewire " somehow "

There is not one doubt in my mind that years down the road (if we

don't blow each other all up -and thanks Suzi -same to you guys on

the West coast) we will understand why the EFAs are helping our

children...and why it's in rare cases possible for a child who is

apraxic -to go to sentences within a few weeks -not probable -but

possible.

And if you miss the old fashioned way of dealing with apraxia

throughout your child's school years -intensive slow therapy for

years and years and years and the teasing and classifications of LD

etc. -then don't stop the diet and definitely don't stop the

therapy -just stop the " right " formula of O3-O6 EFAs. And you can

even find apraxic children success stories like that in our group -

those who didn't know about EFAs back then. Sadly unlike now -not as

many apraxic children had success stories back then.

It's been said that a true impairment is always there somehow -

although children/adults can learn to overcome it. As children

grow -they learn how to strategize so they can sound like others by

shortening words -or substituting words. They may not say words

they are not sure of in front of others. They may, like my son

Tanner, go into a bathroom and practice saying it over and over

first -till they get it " right " .

Is strategizing " not normal " as someone worried? Would you consider

Earl -a man/actor known world wide for his powerful deep

speaking voice as a spokesman for everything from the yellow pages

to raising awareness about learning disabled children, and known as

the deep, menacing voice of Darth Vader from Star Wars normal? You

may not know Earl to this day is a stutterer. As

Earl says when people compliment his voice " once a stutterer

always a stutterer "

He also said about his childhood,

" I was mute to the outside world, but there were hundreds of

conversations in my head. "

Earl

Hearing before the Subcommittee on Education Reform Committee on

Education and the Workforce United States House of Representatives

October 8, 2002

http://edworkforce.house.gov/hearings/107th/edr/literacy10802/jones.h

tm

=====

June 27, 2006

>

> I tried an exercise

> I read about in the Late Talker book (in the appendix that described

> Tanner's therapy). I tried getting him to do the same vowel with a

> different consonant at the end (an, at, ab, am, ad, etc), which

> we've never really tried before. Mostly we just try to get him to

> repeat consonant+vowel (ba, da, la, etc). Anyway, he seemed to say

> the consonant first ( " ab " became " ba " for example). Any thoughts on

> this? Maybe he's not ready for this exercise yet?

>

My dd (20 months) does the same. Up is Ba, she can't seem to get the

vowel in front. We don't have a formal apraxia dx yet either, just the

suspicions of her ped and SLP. But there is a 6 months wait to see the

good developmental ped. Hoping for a cancellation sooner.