Re: Types of Apraxia - New to the Group

[Guest guest]

Bonnie,

I am curious as to what " traditional and non traditional " therapies

you've had your son in?

Dawn in NJ

>

> Hi - My 15 year old son , was diagnosed with " significant "

apraxia

> at age 5. In his case, apraxia affects more than just speech. He

is not

> able to make his mouth, hands or eyes do what his brain is

thinking. In

> short - he has multiple learning issues, difficulty with fine and

gross

> motor tasks and articulation problems. I have never seen anyone

else

> with his type of " disability " , although I have seen many kids with

all

> types of special needs. He is is not considered cognitively

impaired or

> autistic, but he has been diagnosed with PDD, NOS. He is " severely

> learning disabled " . He is very talkative, but he perseverates. He

still

> cannot do many types of things independently. He is very social,

but

> cannot keep pace with peers' speech so he's either silly or shy. He

> knows the forms of letters and numbers. He has a great vocabulary.

He

> reads, but has huge problems with tracking. His comprehension and

memory

> are excellent, but he cannot write. He loves books, and knows what

he

> wants to say and write.

>

> I'm wondering of anyone has a child with a similar diagnosis or

set of

> isssues.

>

> My understanding is that apraxia has several different forms,

including:

>

> Limb-kinetic apraxia - inability to make precise or exactmovements

with

> a finger, an arm or a leg.

> Ideomotor apraxia - inability to carry out a command from thebrain

to

> mimic limb or head movements performed or suggested by others.

> Conceptual apraxia - a moreprofound malfunctioning in which the

function

> of tools is no longerunderstood.

> Ideational apraxia is the inability to create a plan for a specific

> movement.

> Buccofacial apraxia - inability to coordinate and carry out facial

and

> lip movements such aswhistling, winking, coughing etc on command.

> Constructional apraxia - affects the person's ability to draw or

> copy simple diagrams or to construct simple figures.

> Oculomotor apraxia - patients find it difficult to move their eyes.

> Apraxia of Speech - a motor speech disorder. Apraxia of speech

may also

> be called verbal apraxia,developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal

> dyspraxia. Difficulty programming and planningspeech movements.

>

> Bonnie Mc

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Bonnie,

I am curious as to what " traditional and non traditional " therapies

you've had your son in?

Dawn in NJ

>

> Hi - My 15 year old son , was diagnosed with " significant "

apraxia

> at age 5. In his case, apraxia affects more than just speech. He

is not

> able to make his mouth, hands or eyes do what his brain is

thinking. In

> short - he has multiple learning issues, difficulty with fine and

gross

> motor tasks and articulation problems. I have never seen anyone

else

> with his type of " disability " , although I have seen many kids with

all

> types of special needs. He is is not considered cognitively

impaired or

> autistic, but he has been diagnosed with PDD, NOS. He is " severely

> learning disabled " . He is very talkative, but he perseverates. He

still

> cannot do many types of things independently. He is very social,

but

> cannot keep pace with peers' speech so he's either silly or shy. He

> knows the forms of letters and numbers. He has a great vocabulary.

He

> reads, but has huge problems with tracking. His comprehension and

memory

> are excellent, but he cannot write. He loves books, and knows what

he

> wants to say and write.

>

> I'm wondering of anyone has a child with a similar diagnosis or

set of

> isssues.

>

> My understanding is that apraxia has several different forms,

including:

>

> Limb-kinetic apraxia - inability to make precise or exactmovements

with

> a finger, an arm or a leg.

> Ideomotor apraxia - inability to carry out a command from thebrain

to

> mimic limb or head movements performed or suggested by others.

> Conceptual apraxia - a moreprofound malfunctioning in which the

function

> of tools is no longerunderstood.

> Ideational apraxia is the inability to create a plan for a specific

> movement.

> Buccofacial apraxia - inability to coordinate and carry out facial

and

> lip movements such aswhistling, winking, coughing etc on command.

> Constructional apraxia - affects the person's ability to draw or

> copy simple diagrams or to construct simple figures.

> Oculomotor apraxia - patients find it difficult to move their eyes.

> Apraxia of Speech - a motor speech disorder. Apraxia of speech

may also

> be called verbal apraxia,developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal

> dyspraxia. Difficulty programming and planningspeech movements.

>

> Bonnie Mc

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Bonnie, my daughter was diagnosed at age 2 with both apraxia and

autism spectrum disorder (PDD-NOS, which is on the autism spectrum).

Have you considered an ABA program? CARD is one provider that works

with older children. I also recommend that you try carnaware

(carnaware.com, 4 caps/day = it helps with sociability as well as

language) and essential GSH (wellnesshealth.com) in addition to vit E

and EFAs. An ABA program will work intensively on language, social and

fine/gross motor issues. Have you had him tested for celiac disease of

IgG antibodies to gluten or dairy? If not, I would ask his doc to

order the tests. If he is low tone, I would also test carnitine

levels. There is also some evidence that vitamin B6 (the active P5P

form) and magnesium help children with ASD. I recommend you look at

the Autism Research Institute's webpage for more info.

>

> Hi - My 15 year old son , was diagnosed with " significant " apraxia

> at age 5. In his case, apraxia affects more than just speech. He is not

> able to make his mouth, hands or eyes do what his brain is thinking. In

> short - he has multiple learning issues, difficulty with fine and gross

> motor tasks and articulation problems. I have never seen anyone else

> with his type of " disability " , although I have seen many kids with all

> types of special needs. He is is not considered cognitively impaired or

> autistic, but he has been diagnosed with PDD, NOS. He is " severely

> learning disabled " . He is very talkative, but he perseverates. He still

> cannot do many types of things independently. He is very social, but

> cannot keep pace with peers' speech so he's either silly or shy. He

> knows the forms of letters and numbers. He has a great vocabulary. He

> reads, but has huge problems with tracking. His comprehension and memory

> are excellent, but he cannot write. He loves books, and knows what he

> wants to say and write.

>

> I'm wondering of anyone has a child with a similar diagnosis or set of

> isssues.

>

> My understanding is that apraxia has several different forms, including:

>

> Limb-kinetic apraxia - inability to make precise or exactmovements with

> a finger, an arm or a leg.

> Ideomotor apraxia - inability to carry out a command from thebrain to

> mimic limb or head movements performed or suggested by others.

> Conceptual apraxia - a moreprofound malfunctioning in which the function

> of tools is no longerunderstood.

> Ideational apraxia is the inability to create a plan for a specific

> movement.

> Buccofacial apraxia - inability to coordinate and carry out facial and

> lip movements such aswhistling, winking, coughing etc on command.

> Constructional apraxia - affects the person's ability to draw or

> copy simple diagrams or to construct simple figures.

> Oculomotor apraxia - patients find it difficult to move their eyes.

> Apraxia of Speech - a motor speech disorder. Apraxia of speech may also

> be called verbal apraxia,developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal

> dyspraxia. Difficulty programming and planningspeech movements.

>

> Bonnie Mc

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi -

I'm very familiar with autism. I thought he had it when he was very

young, but over time, we have seen that he does not. His

skills/weaknesses are almost opppsite. He has good theory of mind

skills, he's very socially connected. He has more physical problems

than the kids I've seen with autism.

Re: ABA - receieved many types of intensive interventions

including ABA through CARD. They said his prognosis was excellent, and

he needed a more challenging, expressive based ABA program. (We had

already been using a modified version with good success.) To my

surprise - he actually regressed; stuttering, shut-down, etc. Years

later when he received the apraxia disgnosis, I realized that children

with apraxia cannot perform on command, and ABA is the worst thing to

do. He did much better with play therapy and other types of direction

instruction that helped him in less stressful ways. I understand and

value ABA principals for certain types of disabilities - but not for

kids with apraxia.

We also have used, and continue to implement a maintenance program for

the apraxia-fish oil regimen. He has not been tested for celiac

disease or food allergies, however, but I am familar with biomedical

problems related to autism, and he has never exhibited symptoms that

indicate food allergies, etc.

I appreciate your comments. My husband and I see a holistic MD. I'm

thinking about having tested too, but I don't think his problems

are related to nutrition. He has always rejected junk food, candy,

etc. on his own, and he has a very good diet.

Bonnie Mc

> >

> > Hi - My 15 year old son , was diagnosed with " significant " apraxia

> > at age 5. In his case, apraxia affects more than just speech. He

is not

> > able to make his mouth, hands or eyes do what his brain is

thinking. In

> > short - he has multiple learning issues, difficulty with fine and

gross

> > motor tasks and articulation problems. I have never seen anyone else

> > with his type of " disability " , although I have seen many kids with all

> > types of special needs. He is is not considered cognitively

impaired or

> > autistic, but he has been diagnosed with PDD, NOS. He is " severely

> > learning disabled " . He is very talkative, but he perseverates. He

still

> > cannot do many types of things independently. He is very social, but

> > cannot keep pace with peers' speech so he's either silly or shy. He

> > knows the forms of letters and numbers. He has a great vocabulary. He

> > reads, but has huge problems with tracking. His comprehension and

memory

> > are excellent, but he cannot write. He loves books, and knows what he

> > wants to say and write.

> >

> > I'm wondering of anyone has a child with a similar diagnosis or set of

> > isssues.

> >

> > My understanding is that apraxia has several different forms,

including:

> >

> > Limb-kinetic apraxia - inability to make precise or exactmovements

with

> > a finger, an arm or a leg.

> > Ideomotor apraxia - inability to carry out a command from thebrain to

> > mimic limb or head movements performed or suggested by others.

> > Conceptual apraxia - a moreprofound malfunctioning in which the

function

> > of tools is no longerunderstood.

> > Ideational apraxia is the inability to create a plan for a specific

> > movement.

> > Buccofacial apraxia - inability to coordinate and carry out facial and

> > lip movements such aswhistling, winking, coughing etc on command.

> > Constructional apraxia - affects the person's ability to draw or

> > copy simple diagrams or to construct simple figures.

> > Oculomotor apraxia - patients find it difficult to move their eyes.

> > Apraxia of Speech - a motor speech disorder. Apraxia of speech

may also

> > be called verbal apraxia,developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal

> > dyspraxia. Difficulty programming and planningspeech movements.

> >

> > Bonnie Mc

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi Dawn -

Since age 2, has had many therapies, including...Speech/Language

with Kaufman and others

O.T. & P.T. & Sensory Integration

ABA

Intensive Play therapy

Horse back Riding

Aquatic Therapy

Music

Extensive Tutoring outside of school

Visual Therapy

Dyslexia remediation ()

My problem is that although he has had the best of everything, he is

still quite impaired with apraxia. I wonder if he will ever reach a more

independent level of functioning. He is a sweet kid, with a great

personality and he's attractive. He doesn't look as disabled as he is,

so people expect a lot from him. That is a big problem for him. He is

aware of his issues.

Bonnie McDoanld

>

> Bonnie,

> I am curious as to what " traditional and non traditional " therapies

> you've had your son in?

>

>

>

> Dawn in NJ

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi - My 15 year old son , was diagnosed with " significant "

apraxia

> at age 5. In his case, apraxia affects more than just speech. He is

not

> able to make his mouth, hands or eyes do what his brain is

thinking. In

> short - he has multiple learning issues, difficulty with fine and

gross

> motor tasks and articulation problems. I have never seen anyone else

> with his type of " disability " , although I have seen many kids with

all

> types of special needs. He is is not considered cognitively

impaired or

> autistic, but he has been diagnosed with PDD, NOS. He is " severely

> learning disabled " . He is very talkative, but he perseverates. He

still

> cannot do many types of things independently. He is very social, but

> cannot keep pace with peers' speech so he's either silly or shy. He

> knows the forms of letters and numbers. He has a great vocabulary.

He

> reads, but has huge problems with tracking. His comprehension and

memory

> are excellent, but he cannot write. He loves books, and knows what

he

> wants to say and write.

>

> I'm wondering of anyone has a child with a similar diagnosis or set

of

> isssues.

>

> My understanding is that apraxia has several different forms,

including:

>

> Limb-kinetic apraxia - inability to make precise or exactmovements

with

> a finger, an arm or a leg.

> Ideomotor apraxia - inability to carry out a command from thebrain

to

> mimic limb or head movements performed or suggested by others.

> Conceptual apraxia - a moreprofound malfunctioning in which the

function

> of tools is no longerunderstood.

> Ideational apraxia is the inability to create a plan for a specific

> movement.

> Buccofacial apraxia - inability to coordinate and carry out facial

and

> lip movements such aswhistling, winking, coughing etc on command.

> Constructional apraxia - affects the person's ability to draw or

> copy simple diagrams or to construct simple figures.

> Oculomotor apraxia - patients find it difficult to move their eyes.

> Apraxia of Speech - a motor speech disorder. Apraxia of speech may

also

> be called verbal apraxia,developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal

> dyspraxia. Difficulty programming and planningspeech movements.

>

> Bonnie Mc

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Bonnie, my daughter was diagnosed at age 2 with both apraxia and

autism spectrum disorder (PDD-NOS, which is on the autism spectrum).

Have you considered an ABA program? CARD is one provider that works

with older children. I also recommend that you try carnaware

(carnaware.com, 4 caps/day = it helps with sociability as well as

language) and essential GSH (wellnesshealth.com) in addition to vit E

and EFAs. An ABA program will work intensively on language, social and

fine/gross motor issues. Have you had him tested for celiac disease of

IgG antibodies to gluten or dairy? If not, I would ask his doc to

order the tests. If he is low tone, I would also test carnitine

levels. There is also some evidence that vitamin B6 (the active P5P

form) and magnesium help children with ASD. I recommend you look at

the Autism Research Institute's webpage for more info.

>

> Hi - My 15 year old son , was diagnosed with " significant " apraxia

> at age 5. In his case, apraxia affects more than just speech. He is not

> able to make his mouth, hands or eyes do what his brain is thinking. In

> short - he has multiple learning issues, difficulty with fine and gross

> motor tasks and articulation problems. I have never seen anyone else

> with his type of " disability " , although I have seen many kids with all

> types of special needs. He is is not considered cognitively impaired or

> autistic, but he has been diagnosed with PDD, NOS. He is " severely

> learning disabled " . He is very talkative, but he perseverates. He still

> cannot do many types of things independently. He is very social, but

> cannot keep pace with peers' speech so he's either silly or shy. He

> knows the forms of letters and numbers. He has a great vocabulary. He

> reads, but has huge problems with tracking. His comprehension and memory

> are excellent, but he cannot write. He loves books, and knows what he

> wants to say and write.

>

> I'm wondering of anyone has a child with a similar diagnosis or set of

> isssues.

>

> My understanding is that apraxia has several different forms, including:

>

> Limb-kinetic apraxia - inability to make precise or exactmovements with

> a finger, an arm or a leg.

> Ideomotor apraxia - inability to carry out a command from thebrain to

> mimic limb or head movements performed or suggested by others.

> Conceptual apraxia - a moreprofound malfunctioning in which the function

> of tools is no longerunderstood.

> Ideational apraxia is the inability to create a plan for a specific

> movement.

> Buccofacial apraxia - inability to coordinate and carry out facial and

> lip movements such aswhistling, winking, coughing etc on command.

> Constructional apraxia - affects the person's ability to draw or

> copy simple diagrams or to construct simple figures.

> Oculomotor apraxia - patients find it difficult to move their eyes.

> Apraxia of Speech - a motor speech disorder. Apraxia of speech may also

> be called verbal apraxia,developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal

> dyspraxia. Difficulty programming and planningspeech movements.

>

> Bonnie Mc

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I'm sorry to hear that your son had a bad experience with ABA. It was

the one therapy that helped my daughter overcome her apraxia - our

approach was modified so that she didn't feel pressured to do things

she couldn't do yet. She really needed the intensity and reinforcement

that she got in ABA. Have you tried the Kaufman kit? Our case

supervisor used it and I was very impressed. It really helps a child

make incremental improvements in artic.

> > >

> > > Hi - My 15 year old son , was diagnosed with " significant "

apraxia

> > > at age 5. In his case, apraxia affects more than just speech. He

> is not

> > > able to make his mouth, hands or eyes do what his brain is

> thinking. In

> > > short - he has multiple learning issues, difficulty with fine and

> gross

> > > motor tasks and articulation problems. I have never seen anyone else

> > > with his type of " disability " , although I have seen many kids

with all

> > > types of special needs. He is is not considered cognitively

> impaired or

> > > autistic, but he has been diagnosed with PDD, NOS. He is " severely

> > > learning disabled " . He is very talkative, but he perseverates. He

> still

> > > cannot do many types of things independently. He is very social, but

> > > cannot keep pace with peers' speech so he's either silly or shy. He

> > > knows the forms of letters and numbers. He has a great

vocabulary. He

> > > reads, but has huge problems with tracking. His comprehension and

> memory

> > > are excellent, but he cannot write. He loves books, and knows

what he

> > > wants to say and write.

> > >

> > > I'm wondering of anyone has a child with a similar diagnosis or

set of

> > > isssues.

> > >

> > > My understanding is that apraxia has several different forms,

> including:

> > >

> > > Limb-kinetic apraxia - inability to make precise or exactmovements

> with

> > > a finger, an arm or a leg.

> > > Ideomotor apraxia - inability to carry out a command from

thebrain to

> > > mimic limb or head movements performed or suggested by others.

> > > Conceptual apraxia - a moreprofound malfunctioning in which the

> function

> > > of tools is no longerunderstood.

> > > Ideational apraxia is the inability to create a plan for a specific

> > > movement.

> > > Buccofacial apraxia - inability to coordinate and carry out

facial and

> > > lip movements such aswhistling, winking, coughing etc on command.

> > > Constructional apraxia - affects the person's ability to draw or

> > > copy simple diagrams or to construct simple figures.

> > > Oculomotor apraxia - patients find it difficult to move their eyes.

> > > Apraxia of Speech - a motor speech disorder. Apraxia of speech

> may also

> > > be called verbal apraxia,developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal

> > > dyspraxia. Difficulty programming and planningspeech movements.

> > >

> > > Bonnie Mc

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

Bonnie,

I have some ideas for you. My son is 19 (1 of 4 kids) and has quite

significant issues as well. He is in college and is successful. There was a

time I wondered if he would ever be able to even hold a job in a fast food

establishment. His future was a real worry.

I have a lot of questions for you. I am an educational advocate and my

personal interest is in kids your son's age because time is running out for

them. It sounds like you have done an awful lot for him already.

I wonder who did his testing?

Was he ever seen by a neurologist or a had a neuropsych eval?

You say his memory is very good, but have you had it evaluated to see if it is

short term, long term, or limited to a certain number of things?

Has he been evaluated for executive function disorder?

I see that you did " " for dyslexia, have you ever looked into mood

Bell?

Have you done processing remediation?

Has he seen an OT for dysgraphia?

Has he been diagnosed or evaluated for dyspraxia?

Fast Forward - Ear robics, etc.,

Modulated music listening therapies?

Does he have hypotomia?

Have you had him evaluated intensively for neuro-transmitter disorders?

How is he at Math?

Does he use a text to speech or speech to text software?

Is he in regular ed classes?

Do you know his full scale IQ, verbal IQ and performance IQ's?

Do you know anything about NLD?

You say that he knows what he thinks and wants to say and write....can he then

" get it down on paper " ?

Does he want to go to college?

Have you had him looked at for mitochondrial disorders?

As you can see this may be indepth for the message board but I would be glad

to talk with you offlist, or on the phone and exchange ideas. Perhaps I can

give you some new directions to try.

I feel for you.

Feel free to contact me offlist.

Brigett

Bonnie Mc <bonniemcdonald@...> wrote:

Hi -

I'm very familiar with autism. I thought he had it when he was very

young, but over time, we have seen that he does not. His

skills/weaknesses are almost opppsite. He has good theory of mind

skills, he's very socially connected. He has more physical problems

than the kids I've seen with autism.

Re: ABA - receieved many types of intensive interventions

including ABA through CARD. They said his prognosis was excellent, and

he needed a more challenging, expressive based ABA program. (We had

already been using a modified version with good success.) To my

surprise - he actually regressed; stuttering, shut-down, etc. Years

later when he received the apraxia disgnosis, I realized that children

with apraxia cannot perform on command, and ABA is the worst thing to

do. He did much better with play therapy and other types of direction

instruction that helped him in less stressful ways. I understand and

value ABA principals for certain types of disabilities - but not for

kids with apraxia.

We also have used, and continue to implement a maintenance program for

the apraxia-fish oil regimen. He has not been tested for celiac

disease or food allergies, however, but I am familar with biomedical

problems related to autism, and he has never exhibited symptoms that

indicate food allergies, etc.

I appreciate your comments. My husband and I see a holistic MD. I'm

thinking about having tested too, but I don't think his problems

are related to nutrition. He has always rejected junk food, candy,

etc. on his own, and he has a very good diet.

Bonnie Mc

> >

> > Hi - My 15 year old son , was diagnosed with " significant " apraxia

> > at age 5. In his case, apraxia affects more than just speech. He

is not

> > able to make his mouth, hands or eyes do what his brain is

thinking. In

> > short - he has multiple learning issues, difficulty with fine and

gross

> > motor tasks and articulation problems. I have never seen anyone else

> > with his type of " disability " , although I have seen many kids with all

> > types of special needs. He is is not considered cognitively

impaired or

> > autistic, but he has been diagnosed with PDD, NOS. He is " severely

> > learning disabled " . He is very talkative, but he perseverates. He

still

> > cannot do many types of things independently. He is very social, but

> > cannot keep pace with peers' speech so he's either silly or shy. He

> > knows the forms of letters and numbers. He has a great vocabulary. He

> > reads, but has huge problems with tracking. His comprehension and

memory

> > are excellent, but he cannot write. He loves books, and knows what he

> > wants to say and write.

> >

> > I'm wondering of anyone has a child with a similar diagnosis or set of

> > isssues.

> >

> > My understanding is that apraxia has several different forms,

including:

> >

> > Limb-kinetic apraxia - inability to make precise or exactmovements

with

> > a finger, an arm or a leg.

> > Ideomotor apraxia - inability to carry out a command from thebrain to

> > mimic limb or head movements performed or suggested by others.

> > Conceptual apraxia - a moreprofound malfunctioning in which the

function

> > of tools is no longerunderstood.

> > Ideational apraxia is the inability to create a plan for a specific

> > movement.

> > Buccofacial apraxia - inability to coordinate and carry out facial and

> > lip movements such aswhistling, winking, coughing etc on command.

> > Constructional apraxia - affects the person's ability to draw or

> > copy simple diagrams or to construct simple figures.

> > Oculomotor apraxia - patients find it difficult to move their eyes.

> > Apraxia of Speech - a motor speech disorder. Apraxia of speech

may also

> > be called verbal apraxia,developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal

> > dyspraxia. Difficulty programming and planningspeech movements.

> >

> > Bonnie Mc

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi -

I'm very familiar with autism. I thought he had it when he was very

young, but over time, we have seen that he does not. His

skills/weaknesses are almost opppsite. He has good theory of mind

skills, he's very socially connected. He has more physical problems

than the kids I've seen with autism.

Re: ABA - receieved many types of intensive interventions

including ABA through CARD. They said his prognosis was excellent, and

he needed a more challenging, expressive based ABA program. (We had

already been using a modified version with good success.) To my

surprise - he actually regressed; stuttering, shut-down, etc. Years

later when he received the apraxia disgnosis, I realized that children

with apraxia cannot perform on command, and ABA is the worst thing to

do. He did much better with play therapy and other types of direction

instruction that helped him in less stressful ways. I understand and

value ABA principals for certain types of disabilities - but not for

kids with apraxia.

We also have used, and continue to implement a maintenance program for

the apraxia-fish oil regimen. He has not been tested for celiac

disease or food allergies, however, but I am familar with biomedical

problems related to autism, and he has never exhibited symptoms that

indicate food allergies, etc.

I appreciate your comments. My husband and I see a holistic MD. I'm

thinking about having tested too, but I don't think his problems

are related to nutrition. He has always rejected junk food, candy,

etc. on his own, and he has a very good diet.

Bonnie Mc

> >

> > Hi - My 15 year old son , was diagnosed with " significant " apraxia

> > at age 5. In his case, apraxia affects more than just speech. He

is not

> > able to make his mouth, hands or eyes do what his brain is

thinking. In

> > short - he has multiple learning issues, difficulty with fine and

gross

> > motor tasks and articulation problems. I have never seen anyone else

> > with his type of " disability " , although I have seen many kids with all

> > types of special needs. He is is not considered cognitively

impaired or

> > autistic, but he has been diagnosed with PDD, NOS. He is " severely

> > learning disabled " . He is very talkative, but he perseverates. He

still

> > cannot do many types of things independently. He is very social, but

> > cannot keep pace with peers' speech so he's either silly or shy. He

> > knows the forms of letters and numbers. He has a great vocabulary. He

> > reads, but has huge problems with tracking. His comprehension and

memory

> > are excellent, but he cannot write. He loves books, and knows what he

> > wants to say and write.

> >

> > I'm wondering of anyone has a child with a similar diagnosis or set of

> > isssues.

> >

> > My understanding is that apraxia has several different forms,

including:

> >

> > Limb-kinetic apraxia - inability to make precise or exactmovements

with

> > a finger, an arm or a leg.

> > Ideomotor apraxia - inability to carry out a command from thebrain to

> > mimic limb or head movements performed or suggested by others.

> > Conceptual apraxia - a moreprofound malfunctioning in which the

function

> > of tools is no longerunderstood.

> > Ideational apraxia is the inability to create a plan for a specific

> > movement.

> > Buccofacial apraxia - inability to coordinate and carry out facial and

> > lip movements such aswhistling, winking, coughing etc on command.

> > Constructional apraxia - affects the person's ability to draw or

> > copy simple diagrams or to construct simple figures.

> > Oculomotor apraxia - patients find it difficult to move their eyes.

> > Apraxia of Speech - a motor speech disorder. Apraxia of speech

may also

> > be called verbal apraxia,developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal

> > dyspraxia. Difficulty programming and planningspeech movements.

> >

> > Bonnie Mc

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi Dawn -

Since age 2, has had many therapies, including...Speech/Language

with Kaufman and others

O.T. & P.T. & Sensory Integration

ABA

Intensive Play therapy

Horse back Riding

Aquatic Therapy

Music

Extensive Tutoring outside of school

Visual Therapy

Dyslexia remediation ()

My problem is that although he has had the best of everything, he is

still quite impaired with apraxia. I wonder if he will ever reach a more

independent level of functioning. He is a sweet kid, with a great

personality and he's attractive. He doesn't look as disabled as he is,

so people expect a lot from him. That is a big problem for him. He is

aware of his issues.

Bonnie McDoanld

>

> Bonnie,

> I am curious as to what " traditional and non traditional " therapies

> you've had your son in?

>

>

>

> Dawn in NJ

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi - My 15 year old son , was diagnosed with " significant "

apraxia

> at age 5. In his case, apraxia affects more than just speech. He is

not

> able to make his mouth, hands or eyes do what his brain is

thinking. In

> short - he has multiple learning issues, difficulty with fine and

gross

> motor tasks and articulation problems. I have never seen anyone else

> with his type of " disability " , although I have seen many kids with

all

> types of special needs. He is is not considered cognitively

impaired or

> autistic, but he has been diagnosed with PDD, NOS. He is " severely

> learning disabled " . He is very talkative, but he perseverates. He

still

> cannot do many types of things independently. He is very social, but

> cannot keep pace with peers' speech so he's either silly or shy. He

> knows the forms of letters and numbers. He has a great vocabulary.

He

> reads, but has huge problems with tracking. His comprehension and

memory

> are excellent, but he cannot write. He loves books, and knows what

he

> wants to say and write.

>

> I'm wondering of anyone has a child with a similar diagnosis or set

of

> isssues.

>

> My understanding is that apraxia has several different forms,

including:

>

> Limb-kinetic apraxia - inability to make precise or exactmovements

with

> a finger, an arm or a leg.

> Ideomotor apraxia - inability to carry out a command from thebrain

to

> mimic limb or head movements performed or suggested by others.

> Conceptual apraxia - a moreprofound malfunctioning in which the

function

> of tools is no longerunderstood.

> Ideational apraxia is the inability to create a plan for a specific

> movement.

> Buccofacial apraxia - inability to coordinate and carry out facial

and

> lip movements such aswhistling, winking, coughing etc on command.

> Constructional apraxia - affects the person's ability to draw or

> copy simple diagrams or to construct simple figures.

> Oculomotor apraxia - patients find it difficult to move their eyes.

> Apraxia of Speech - a motor speech disorder. Apraxia of speech may

also

> be called verbal apraxia,developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal

> dyspraxia. Difficulty programming and planningspeech movements.

>

> Bonnie Mc

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi -

When was diagnosed with PDD, NOS at age 2, he began speech therapy

with Nanch Kaufman. He saw her for several years, but she never

mentioned apraxia. I heard this term when he was 5 from a pediatric

neurologist. I was very disappointed that was not recognized or

diagnosed with apraxia when he was 2 - his symptoms fit the discription.

It explained so much. The most significant aspect was that he could not

perform on command. He is still inconsistent. This is why ABA was not

the best technique for him. We used a gentle, consistent ABA approach,

but sometimes, aphasia is present, as it is for . and this makes ABA

difficult. I found it useful for understanding basic behavioral

techniques, and for understanding how to see what knew receptively.

Bonnie

>

> I'm sorry to hear that your son had a bad experience with ABA. It was

> the one therapy that helped my daughter overcome her apraxia - our

> approach was modified so that she didn't feel pressured to do things

> she couldn't do yet. She really needed the intensity and reinforcement

> that she got in ABA. Have you tried the Kaufman kit? Our case

> supervisor used it and I was very impressed. It really helps a child

> make incremental improvements in artic.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Joni -

You're not being nosey. I'm happy to share. I also wish I could read

more from parents with teenagers and older children with apraxia. I have

felt very alone with this problem. When was diagnosed 10 years ago,

information was very scarce. It has been a struggle to understand how to

help because apraxia is still not as well understood as autism or

down syndrome, for example.

When was 6 he was fully verbal, but his speech was not easy for

most people to understand. He was completely toliet trained at 4,

because of a skilled behavioral consultant and weeks of intense work in

the bathroom for 8 hours a day. (I can give you some suggestions if you

are interested.) was very social at 6, and well liked by other

kids. He fit in pretty well, even though he was not as mature for his

age. He was in a general education classroom with a paraprofessional.

His behavior was excellent. He followed rules and routines well. This

was accomplished through years of working with him in a home-based

program and a pre-school with a private aide. He was very uncoordinated,

and could not dress himself, play sports or games requiring sequencing

of movements. He was hypotonic from birth, and had a major right head

tilt, which is now completely gone. He was not able to cut with

scissors, draw or write other than scribbling, but he talked about what

he was trying to draw or write a lot. His teachers and the IEP team

thought his reading was on right on target for his age, and that I was

too worried about that. (He loved books, and he is still is a book

fanatic.) As it turned out, I was right. We were all " fooled " by his

ability to " read " . It was very strange. He could look at the pictures,

tell the story and answer questions correctly. He could even predict and

infer. It appeared that he was actually reading. But as it turned out,

he was not truly reading. We finally figured out that he is severely

dyslexic when he was in 3rd grade.

has never not been in speech therapy, but I began taking out

of school for tutoring and therapies when he was in 3rd grade. He

learned academic skills through specialized programs, with very skilled

teachers. One of the best things we did was to go to the Hope Center in

Wisconsin for the Dyslexia program. It is quite alternative - but

very effective for . Three years ago, when was entering 6th

grade, I finally decided that I had to start a school because no one

seemed to know how to teach children with complex learning disabilities.

We use a wide variety of techniques there. He loves the computer, and

taught himself to use a mouse whe he was 3. His typing is very slow -

but he searches the internet very quickly for things he wants to read

about! Learning is best achieved through motivation, and by keeping the

anxiety level low.

By the way, what is SID?

Bonnie

> >Hi Bonnie,

> Thanks for sharing! I was very interested to read your post. I have a

> daughter that is severely dyspraxic who will be 6 in February. On

> this message board I typically dont see much posted from parents

> who's children are teenagers.

> Even with therapy and supplements I wonder what is ahead of us for

> Gracie in her teen years. It is a very slow road for us. Gracie only

> says usually 1-2 words at a time, mostly nouns some verbs. Still is

> unable to dress herself, unable 90% of the time to use the toilet,

> unable to feed herself with utensils still uses her hands to eat,

> unable to ride a bike or big toy. She also has been diagnosed with

> SID, ADHD, Hypotonia.

> I would love to hear from you more about where your son was at

> developmentally at this younger age and what types of therapy you

> have found that really worked for him. Also what types of things do

> you do now to help him to compensate for his disablilities if any.

> Such as you say he loves to read but cannot write, does using the

> computer to write help him, or is that not an option for him? I guess

> I'm very curious to know what life looks like for a teenager with

> this type of disablilty and how you handle things.

>

> Thank you so much for your post, I look forward to hearing more from

> you. I hope I'm not being too nosey!! Just tell me if I am!

> Thanks,

> Joni

>

[Guest guest]

Hello Brigett -

Ah ha! A mom with an older child. Thanks for your thoughtful response.

Was your son diagnosed with apraxia? I think it's a really a set of

" symptoms " , and not a diagnosis, but does your son have similar issues?

I am very, very worried about 's ability to lead an independent

life. I started a private non-profit school 3 years ago for that reason.

(see www.learningcircleacademy.org) We have 30 students this year.

As for your questions, has been tested many times, but his issues

prevent us from getting an accure result. His neurologist is very good,

and he told me that is not testable. Not sure where you live, but

here in Michigan, resources are scarce and not great. I've often thought

that we should have taken him to a specialist out of state with more

cutting-edge methods when he was much younger. We've done psychological

and neurological work-ups over and over again. His MRI shows no brain

damage, but I'm sure he has some. It indicated evidence of an ischemic,

hypoxic insult (a mild, diffuse stroke), however. Maybe a PET scan would

help to know about blood flow to the brain. But, I have not pursued

these things any further because I know that he would need the same

interventions he is already getting. It would just be to answer the HUGE

question that still looms over me....what really happened?

Others:

's memory skills are great - measured 2.11 years above his age, but

he's not like a person with autism who uses these skills to memorize

facts. He is not interested in that. He is fascinated by people and

emotions, drama, stories, etc.

I''m sure he has executive skills problems.

mood-Bell is OK, but the VV is not needed, and that is the best

program they offer. has a tremendous visual processing problems,

but his head is full of pictures and ideas. That why Dyslexia

worked for him. It is for visual issues.

I don't know what processing remediation is.

has seen an OT for dysgraphia, but his hand-eye problems are still

huge.

Dyspraxia is apraxia.

Tried Fast Forward. was really bored with that. Too much

repetition, and he could not see the point, even though he needs it. He

likes working with a person better.

was and is hypotonic. Horseback riding was very helpful. We should

be doing that. Swimming is good too.

He should use speech to text and text to speech software, and we have

tried it a little, but he is resistant right now. He hates the

computer's voice.

We have not tried AIT.

has very poor math skills. But he is slowly getting it.

I am aware of NLD. I don't think is in that category. He is too

speech impaired.

dictates things and types. Very slowly.

He says he does not want to go to college. He's fearful of not having us

with him.

Not sure what mitochondrial disorders means.

Bonnie

>

> Bonnie,

>

> I have some ideas for you. My son is 19 (1 of 4 kids) and has quite

significant issues as well. He is in college and is successful. There

was a time I wondered if he would ever be able to even hold a job in a

fast food establishment. His future was a real worry.

>

> I have a lot of questions for you. I am an educational advocate and

my personal interest is in kids your son's age because time is running

out for them. It sounds like you have done an awful lot for him

already.

> I wonder who did his testing?

> Was he ever seen by a neurologist or a had a neuropsych eval?

> You say his memory is very good, but have you had it evaluated to

see if it is short term, long term, or limited to a certain number of

things?

> Has he been evaluated for executive function disorder?

> I see that you did " " for dyslexia, have you ever looked into

mood Bell?

> Have you done processing remediation?

> Has he seen an OT for dysgraphia?

> Has he been diagnosed or evaluated for dyspraxia?

> Fast Forward - Ear robics, etc.,

> Modulated music listening therapies?

> Does he have hypotomia?

> Have you had him evaluated intensively for neuro-transmitter

disorders?

> How is he at Math?

> Does he use a text to speech or speech to text software?

> Is he in regular ed classes?

> Do you know his full scale IQ, verbal IQ and performance IQ's?

> Do you know anything about NLD?

> You say that he knows what he thinks and wants to say and

write....can he then " get it down on paper " ?

> Does he want to go to college?

> Have you had him looked at for mitochondrial disorders?

>

> As you can see this may be indepth for the message board but I would

be glad to talk with you offlist, or on the phone and exchange ideas.

Perhaps I can give you some new directions to try.

>

> I feel for you.

> Feel free to contact me offlist.

>

> Brigett

[Guest guest]

Hi Bonnie,

Your son sounds like a great kid, and smart. I hope you get the

answers you are looking for. My son only just turned 3, and we just

started down the road with therapies, etc. a few months ago.

You offered Joni some potty-training suggestions. The reason I am

writing is that I would LOVE some potty-training suggestions to help

us. We've been at it for a year and a half. (I may have started too

soon.) He's been in pull-ups forever, and I just this week started

putting him in underpants for a couple hours in the morning. (Til we

have to leave for an appointment.)

It's just so hard with him not talking to tell me when he needs to

go. He sometimes uses the bathroom sign, but only if I ask first.

Also, he sometimes will initiate hands over his head, coming in the

room looking at me (strong eye contact) and other subtle

signs ...babababababa...which is also his babble string for a lot. I

found out after the fact that he had to go to the bathroom, and these

were different ways he was using to try to tell me. We also have the

picture card, but he rarely uses it. Maybe I'm just not being

consistent enough somewhere.

Well, any suggestions would be appreciated. Also, tonight on the

potty he was moving around, giggling at Daddy and I talking just

outside the bathroom, and came thisclose to hitting his face on the

floor from falling forward off the potty. My husband caught him just

in time, inches from the floor. Do you know if they sell handles for

kids that may not have the balance to get on and off the potty? He

is at the stage where he wants to do that on his own. (by the way, I

mean the toilet, he's never used the baby potty)

thanks for any tips,

>

> Hi Joni -

>

> You're not being nosey. I'm happy to share. I also wish I could read

> more from parents with teenagers and older children with apraxia. I

have

> felt very alone with this problem. When was diagnosed 10 years

ago,

> information was very scarce. It has been a struggle to understand

how to

> help because apraxia is still not as well understood as autism

or

> down syndrome, for example.

>

> When was 6 he was fully verbal, but his speech was not easy for

> most people to understand. He was completely toliet trained at 4,

> because of a skilled behavioral consultant and weeks of intense

work in

> the bathroom for 8 hours a day. (I can give you some suggestions if

you

> are interested.) was very social at 6, and well liked by other

> kids. He fit in pretty well, even though he was not as mature for

his

> age. He was in a general education classroom with a

paraprofessional.

> His behavior was excellent. He followed rules and routines well.

This

> was accomplished through years of working with him in a home-based

> program and a pre-school with a private aide. He was very

uncoordinated,

> and could not dress himself, play sports or games requiring

sequencing

> of movements. He was hypotonic from birth, and had a major right

head

> tilt, which is now completely gone. He was not able to cut with

> scissors, draw or write other than scribbling, but he talked about

what

> he was trying to draw or write a lot. His teachers and the IEP team

> thought his reading was on right on target for his age, and that I

was

> too worried about that. (He loved books, and he is still is a book

> fanatic.) As it turned out, I was right. We were all " fooled " by his

> ability to " read " . It was very strange. He could look at the

pictures,

> tell the story and answer questions correctly. He could even

predict and

> infer. It appeared that he was actually reading. But as it turned

out,

> he was not truly reading. We finally figured out that he is severely

> dyslexic when he was in 3rd grade.

>

> has never not been in speech therapy, but I began taking

out

> of school for tutoring and therapies when he was in 3rd grade. He

> learned academic skills through specialized programs, with very

skilled

> teachers. One of the best things we did was to go to the Hope

Center in

> Wisconsin for the Dyslexia program. It is quite alternative -

but

> very effective for . Three years ago, when was entering 6th

> grade, I finally decided that I had to start a school because no one

> seemed to know how to teach children with complex learning

disabilities.

> We use a wide variety of techniques there. He loves the computer,

and

> taught himself to use a mouse whe he was 3. His typing is very

slow -

> but he searches the internet very quickly for things he wants to

read

> about! Learning is best achieved through motivation, and by keeping

the

> anxiety level low.

>

> By the way, what is SID?

>

> Bonnie

>

> > >Hi Bonnie,

> > Thanks for sharing! I was very interested to read your post. I

have a

> > daughter that is severely dyspraxic who will be 6 in February. On

> > this message board I typically dont see much posted from parents

> > who's children are teenagers.

> > Even with therapy and supplements I wonder what is ahead of us for

> > Gracie in her teen years. It is a very slow road for us. Gracie

only

> > says usually 1-2 words at a time, mostly nouns some verbs. Still

is

> > unable to dress herself, unable 90% of the time to use the toilet,

> > unable to feed herself with utensils still uses her hands to eat,

> > unable to ride a bike or big toy. She also has been diagnosed with

> > SID, ADHD, Hypotonia.

> > I would love to hear from you more about where your son was at

> > developmentally at this younger age and what types of therapy you

> > have found that really worked for him. Also what types of things

do

> > you do now to help him to compensate for his disablilities if any.

> > Such as you say he loves to read but cannot write, does using the

> > computer to write help him, or is that not an option for him? I

guess

> > I'm very curious to know what life looks like for a teenager with

> > this type of disablilty and how you handle things.

> >

> > Thank you so much for your post, I look forward to hearing more

from

> > you. I hope I'm not being too nosey!! Just tell me if I am!

> > Thanks,

> > Joni

> >

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I'm sorry to hear that your son had a bad experience with ABA. It was

the one therapy that helped my daughter overcome her apraxia - our

approach was modified so that she didn't feel pressured to do things

she couldn't do yet. She really needed the intensity and reinforcement

that she got in ABA. Have you tried the Kaufman kit? Our case

supervisor used it and I was very impressed. It really helps a child

make incremental improvements in artic.

> > >

> > > Hi - My 15 year old son , was diagnosed with " significant "

apraxia

> > > at age 5. In his case, apraxia affects more than just speech. He

> is not

> > > able to make his mouth, hands or eyes do what his brain is

> thinking. In

> > > short - he has multiple learning issues, difficulty with fine and

> gross

> > > motor tasks and articulation problems. I have never seen anyone else

> > > with his type of " disability " , although I have seen many kids

with all

> > > types of special needs. He is is not considered cognitively

> impaired or

> > > autistic, but he has been diagnosed with PDD, NOS. He is " severely

> > > learning disabled " . He is very talkative, but he perseverates. He

> still

> > > cannot do many types of things independently. He is very social, but

> > > cannot keep pace with peers' speech so he's either silly or shy. He

> > > knows the forms of letters and numbers. He has a great

vocabulary. He

> > > reads, but has huge problems with tracking. His comprehension and

> memory

> > > are excellent, but he cannot write. He loves books, and knows

what he

> > > wants to say and write.

> > >

> > > I'm wondering of anyone has a child with a similar diagnosis or

set of

> > > isssues.

> > >

> > > My understanding is that apraxia has several different forms,

> including:

> > >

> > > Limb-kinetic apraxia - inability to make precise or exactmovements

> with

> > > a finger, an arm or a leg.

> > > Ideomotor apraxia - inability to carry out a command from

thebrain to

> > > mimic limb or head movements performed or suggested by others.

> > > Conceptual apraxia - a moreprofound malfunctioning in which the

> function

> > > of tools is no longerunderstood.

> > > Ideational apraxia is the inability to create a plan for a specific

> > > movement.

> > > Buccofacial apraxia - inability to coordinate and carry out

facial and

> > > lip movements such aswhistling, winking, coughing etc on command.

> > > Constructional apraxia - affects the person's ability to draw or

> > > copy simple diagrams or to construct simple figures.

> > > Oculomotor apraxia - patients find it difficult to move their eyes.

> > > Apraxia of Speech - a motor speech disorder. Apraxia of speech

> may also

> > > be called verbal apraxia,developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal

> > > dyspraxia. Difficulty programming and planningspeech movements.

> > >

> > > Bonnie Mc

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

Bonnie,

I have some ideas for you. My son is 19 (1 of 4 kids) and has quite

significant issues as well. He is in college and is successful. There was a

time I wondered if he would ever be able to even hold a job in a fast food

establishment. His future was a real worry.

I have a lot of questions for you. I am an educational advocate and my

personal interest is in kids your son's age because time is running out for

them. It sounds like you have done an awful lot for him already.

I wonder who did his testing?

Was he ever seen by a neurologist or a had a neuropsych eval?

You say his memory is very good, but have you had it evaluated to see if it is

short term, long term, or limited to a certain number of things?

Has he been evaluated for executive function disorder?

I see that you did " " for dyslexia, have you ever looked into mood

Bell?

Have you done processing remediation?

Has he seen an OT for dysgraphia?

Has he been diagnosed or evaluated for dyspraxia?

Fast Forward - Ear robics, etc.,

Modulated music listening therapies?

Does he have hypotomia?

Have you had him evaluated intensively for neuro-transmitter disorders?

How is he at Math?

Does he use a text to speech or speech to text software?

Is he in regular ed classes?

Do you know his full scale IQ, verbal IQ and performance IQ's?

Do you know anything about NLD?

You say that he knows what he thinks and wants to say and write....can he then

" get it down on paper " ?

Does he want to go to college?

Have you had him looked at for mitochondrial disorders?

As you can see this may be indepth for the message board but I would be glad

to talk with you offlist, or on the phone and exchange ideas. Perhaps I can

give you some new directions to try.

I feel for you.

Feel free to contact me offlist.

Brigett

Bonnie Mc <bonniemcdonald@...> wrote:

Hi -

I'm very familiar with autism. I thought he had it when he was very

young, but over time, we have seen that he does not. His

skills/weaknesses are almost opppsite. He has good theory of mind

skills, he's very socially connected. He has more physical problems

than the kids I've seen with autism.

Re: ABA - receieved many types of intensive interventions

including ABA through CARD. They said his prognosis was excellent, and

he needed a more challenging, expressive based ABA program. (We had

already been using a modified version with good success.) To my

surprise - he actually regressed; stuttering, shut-down, etc. Years

later when he received the apraxia disgnosis, I realized that children

with apraxia cannot perform on command, and ABA is the worst thing to

do. He did much better with play therapy and other types of direction

instruction that helped him in less stressful ways. I understand and

value ABA principals for certain types of disabilities - but not for

kids with apraxia.

We also have used, and continue to implement a maintenance program for

the apraxia-fish oil regimen. He has not been tested for celiac

disease or food allergies, however, but I am familar with biomedical

problems related to autism, and he has never exhibited symptoms that

indicate food allergies, etc.

I appreciate your comments. My husband and I see a holistic MD. I'm

thinking about having tested too, but I don't think his problems

are related to nutrition. He has always rejected junk food, candy,

etc. on his own, and he has a very good diet.

Bonnie Mc

> >

> > Hi - My 15 year old son , was diagnosed with " significant " apraxia

> > at age 5. In his case, apraxia affects more than just speech. He

is not

> > able to make his mouth, hands or eyes do what his brain is

thinking. In

> > short - he has multiple learning issues, difficulty with fine and

gross

> > motor tasks and articulation problems. I have never seen anyone else

> > with his type of " disability " , although I have seen many kids with all

> > types of special needs. He is is not considered cognitively

impaired or

> > autistic, but he has been diagnosed with PDD, NOS. He is " severely

> > learning disabled " . He is very talkative, but he perseverates. He

still

> > cannot do many types of things independently. He is very social, but

> > cannot keep pace with peers' speech so he's either silly or shy. He

> > knows the forms of letters and numbers. He has a great vocabulary. He

> > reads, but has huge problems with tracking. His comprehension and

memory

> > are excellent, but he cannot write. He loves books, and knows what he

> > wants to say and write.

> >

> > I'm wondering of anyone has a child with a similar diagnosis or set of

> > isssues.

> >

> > My understanding is that apraxia has several different forms,

including:

> >

> > Limb-kinetic apraxia - inability to make precise or exactmovements

with

> > a finger, an arm or a leg.

> > Ideomotor apraxia - inability to carry out a command from thebrain to

> > mimic limb or head movements performed or suggested by others.

> > Conceptual apraxia - a moreprofound malfunctioning in which the

function

> > of tools is no longerunderstood.

> > Ideational apraxia is the inability to create a plan for a specific

> > movement.

> > Buccofacial apraxia - inability to coordinate and carry out facial and

> > lip movements such aswhistling, winking, coughing etc on command.

> > Constructional apraxia - affects the person's ability to draw or

> > copy simple diagrams or to construct simple figures.

> > Oculomotor apraxia - patients find it difficult to move their eyes.

> > Apraxia of Speech - a motor speech disorder. Apraxia of speech

may also

> > be called verbal apraxia,developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal

> > dyspraxia. Difficulty programming and planningspeech movements.

> >

> > Bonnie Mc

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi -

When was diagnosed with PDD, NOS at age 2, he began speech therapy

with Nanch Kaufman. He saw her for several years, but she never

mentioned apraxia. I heard this term when he was 5 from a pediatric

neurologist. I was very disappointed that was not recognized or

diagnosed with apraxia when he was 2 - his symptoms fit the discription.

It explained so much. The most significant aspect was that he could not

perform on command. He is still inconsistent. This is why ABA was not

the best technique for him. We used a gentle, consistent ABA approach,

but sometimes, aphasia is present, as it is for . and this makes ABA

difficult. I found it useful for understanding basic behavioral

techniques, and for understanding how to see what knew receptively.

Bonnie

>

> I'm sorry to hear that your son had a bad experience with ABA. It was

> the one therapy that helped my daughter overcome her apraxia - our

> approach was modified so that she didn't feel pressured to do things

> she couldn't do yet. She really needed the intensity and reinforcement

> that she got in ABA. Have you tried the Kaufman kit? Our case

> supervisor used it and I was very impressed. It really helps a child

> make incremental improvements in artic.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Joni -

You're not being nosey. I'm happy to share. I also wish I could read

more from parents with teenagers and older children with apraxia. I have

felt very alone with this problem. When was diagnosed 10 years ago,

information was very scarce. It has been a struggle to understand how to

help because apraxia is still not as well understood as autism or

down syndrome, for example.

When was 6 he was fully verbal, but his speech was not easy for

most people to understand. He was completely toliet trained at 4,

because of a skilled behavioral consultant and weeks of intense work in

the bathroom for 8 hours a day. (I can give you some suggestions if you

are interested.) was very social at 6, and well liked by other

kids. He fit in pretty well, even though he was not as mature for his

age. He was in a general education classroom with a paraprofessional.

His behavior was excellent. He followed rules and routines well. This

was accomplished through years of working with him in a home-based

program and a pre-school with a private aide. He was very uncoordinated,

and could not dress himself, play sports or games requiring sequencing

of movements. He was hypotonic from birth, and had a major right head

tilt, which is now completely gone. He was not able to cut with

scissors, draw or write other than scribbling, but he talked about what

he was trying to draw or write a lot. His teachers and the IEP team

thought his reading was on right on target for his age, and that I was

too worried about that. (He loved books, and he is still is a book

fanatic.) As it turned out, I was right. We were all " fooled " by his

ability to " read " . It was very strange. He could look at the pictures,

tell the story and answer questions correctly. He could even predict and

infer. It appeared that he was actually reading. But as it turned out,

he was not truly reading. We finally figured out that he is severely

dyslexic when he was in 3rd grade.

has never not been in speech therapy, but I began taking out

of school for tutoring and therapies when he was in 3rd grade. He

learned academic skills through specialized programs, with very skilled

teachers. One of the best things we did was to go to the Hope Center in

Wisconsin for the Dyslexia program. It is quite alternative - but

very effective for . Three years ago, when was entering 6th

grade, I finally decided that I had to start a school because no one

seemed to know how to teach children with complex learning disabilities.

We use a wide variety of techniques there. He loves the computer, and

taught himself to use a mouse whe he was 3. His typing is very slow -

but he searches the internet very quickly for things he wants to read

about! Learning is best achieved through motivation, and by keeping the

anxiety level low.

By the way, what is SID?

Bonnie

> >Hi Bonnie,

> Thanks for sharing! I was very interested to read your post. I have a

> daughter that is severely dyspraxic who will be 6 in February. On

> this message board I typically dont see much posted from parents

> who's children are teenagers.

> Even with therapy and supplements I wonder what is ahead of us for

> Gracie in her teen years. It is a very slow road for us. Gracie only

> says usually 1-2 words at a time, mostly nouns some verbs. Still is

> unable to dress herself, unable 90% of the time to use the toilet,

> unable to feed herself with utensils still uses her hands to eat,

> unable to ride a bike or big toy. She also has been diagnosed with

> SID, ADHD, Hypotonia.

> I would love to hear from you more about where your son was at

> developmentally at this younger age and what types of therapy you

> have found that really worked for him. Also what types of things do

> you do now to help him to compensate for his disablilities if any.

> Such as you say he loves to read but cannot write, does using the

> computer to write help him, or is that not an option for him? I guess

> I'm very curious to know what life looks like for a teenager with

> this type of disablilty and how you handle things.

>

> Thank you so much for your post, I look forward to hearing more from

> you. I hope I'm not being too nosey!! Just tell me if I am!

> Thanks,

> Joni

>

[Guest guest]

Hello Brigett -

Ah ha! A mom with an older child. Thanks for your thoughtful response.

Was your son diagnosed with apraxia? I think it's a really a set of

" symptoms " , and not a diagnosis, but does your son have similar issues?

I am very, very worried about 's ability to lead an independent

life. I started a private non-profit school 3 years ago for that reason.

(see www.learningcircleacademy.org) We have 30 students this year.

As for your questions, has been tested many times, but his issues

prevent us from getting an accure result. His neurologist is very good,

and he told me that is not testable. Not sure where you live, but

here in Michigan, resources are scarce and not great. I've often thought

that we should have taken him to a specialist out of state with more

cutting-edge methods when he was much younger. We've done psychological

and neurological work-ups over and over again. His MRI shows no brain

damage, but I'm sure he has some. It indicated evidence of an ischemic,

hypoxic insult (a mild, diffuse stroke), however. Maybe a PET scan would

help to know about blood flow to the brain. But, I have not pursued

these things any further because I know that he would need the same

interventions he is already getting. It would just be to answer the HUGE

question that still looms over me....what really happened?

Others:

's memory skills are great - measured 2.11 years above his age, but

he's not like a person with autism who uses these skills to memorize

facts. He is not interested in that. He is fascinated by people and

emotions, drama, stories, etc.

I''m sure he has executive skills problems.

mood-Bell is OK, but the VV is not needed, and that is the best

program they offer. has a tremendous visual processing problems,

but his head is full of pictures and ideas. That why Dyslexia

worked for him. It is for visual issues.

I don't know what processing remediation is.

has seen an OT for dysgraphia, but his hand-eye problems are still

huge.

Dyspraxia is apraxia.

Tried Fast Forward. was really bored with that. Too much

repetition, and he could not see the point, even though he needs it. He

likes working with a person better.

was and is hypotonic. Horseback riding was very helpful. We should

be doing that. Swimming is good too.

He should use speech to text and text to speech software, and we have

tried it a little, but he is resistant right now. He hates the

computer's voice.

We have not tried AIT.

has very poor math skills. But he is slowly getting it.

I am aware of NLD. I don't think is in that category. He is too

speech impaired.

dictates things and types. Very slowly.

He says he does not want to go to college. He's fearful of not having us

with him.

Not sure what mitochondrial disorders means.

Bonnie

>

> Bonnie,

>

> I have some ideas for you. My son is 19 (1 of 4 kids) and has quite

significant issues as well. He is in college and is successful. There

was a time I wondered if he would ever be able to even hold a job in a

fast food establishment. His future was a real worry.

>

> I have a lot of questions for you. I am an educational advocate and

my personal interest is in kids your son's age because time is running

out for them. It sounds like you have done an awful lot for him

already.

> I wonder who did his testing?

> Was he ever seen by a neurologist or a had a neuropsych eval?

> You say his memory is very good, but have you had it evaluated to

see if it is short term, long term, or limited to a certain number of

things?

> Has he been evaluated for executive function disorder?

> I see that you did " " for dyslexia, have you ever looked into

mood Bell?

> Have you done processing remediation?

> Has he seen an OT for dysgraphia?

> Has he been diagnosed or evaluated for dyspraxia?

> Fast Forward - Ear robics, etc.,

> Modulated music listening therapies?

> Does he have hypotomia?

> Have you had him evaluated intensively for neuro-transmitter

disorders?

> How is he at Math?

> Does he use a text to speech or speech to text software?

> Is he in regular ed classes?

> Do you know his full scale IQ, verbal IQ and performance IQ's?

> Do you know anything about NLD?

> You say that he knows what he thinks and wants to say and

write....can he then " get it down on paper " ?

> Does he want to go to college?

> Have you had him looked at for mitochondrial disorders?

>

> As you can see this may be indepth for the message board but I would

be glad to talk with you offlist, or on the phone and exchange ideas.

Perhaps I can give you some new directions to try.

>

> I feel for you.

> Feel free to contact me offlist.

>

> Brigett

[Guest guest]

Hi Bonnie,

Your son sounds like a great kid, and smart. I hope you get the

answers you are looking for. My son only just turned 3, and we just

started down the road with therapies, etc. a few months ago.

You offered Joni some potty-training suggestions. The reason I am

writing is that I would LOVE some potty-training suggestions to help

us. We've been at it for a year and a half. (I may have started too

soon.) He's been in pull-ups forever, and I just this week started

putting him in underpants for a couple hours in the morning. (Til we

have to leave for an appointment.)

It's just so hard with him not talking to tell me when he needs to

go. He sometimes uses the bathroom sign, but only if I ask first.

Also, he sometimes will initiate hands over his head, coming in the

room looking at me (strong eye contact) and other subtle

signs ...babababababa...which is also his babble string for a lot. I

found out after the fact that he had to go to the bathroom, and these

were different ways he was using to try to tell me. We also have the

picture card, but he rarely uses it. Maybe I'm just not being

consistent enough somewhere.

Well, any suggestions would be appreciated. Also, tonight on the

potty he was moving around, giggling at Daddy and I talking just

outside the bathroom, and came thisclose to hitting his face on the

floor from falling forward off the potty. My husband caught him just

in time, inches from the floor. Do you know if they sell handles for

kids that may not have the balance to get on and off the potty? He

is at the stage where he wants to do that on his own. (by the way, I

mean the toilet, he's never used the baby potty)

thanks for any tips,

>

> Hi Joni -

>

> You're not being nosey. I'm happy to share. I also wish I could read

> more from parents with teenagers and older children with apraxia. I

have

> felt very alone with this problem. When was diagnosed 10 years

ago,

> information was very scarce. It has been a struggle to understand

how to

> help because apraxia is still not as well understood as autism

or

> down syndrome, for example.

>

> When was 6 he was fully verbal, but his speech was not easy for

> most people to understand. He was completely toliet trained at 4,

> because of a skilled behavioral consultant and weeks of intense

work in

> the bathroom for 8 hours a day. (I can give you some suggestions if

you

> are interested.) was very social at 6, and well liked by other

> kids. He fit in pretty well, even though he was not as mature for

his

> age. He was in a general education classroom with a

paraprofessional.

> His behavior was excellent. He followed rules and routines well.

This

> was accomplished through years of working with him in a home-based

> program and a pre-school with a private aide. He was very

uncoordinated,

> and could not dress himself, play sports or games requiring

sequencing

> of movements. He was hypotonic from birth, and had a major right

head

> tilt, which is now completely gone. He was not able to cut with

> scissors, draw or write other than scribbling, but he talked about

what

> he was trying to draw or write a lot. His teachers and the IEP team

> thought his reading was on right on target for his age, and that I

was

> too worried about that. (He loved books, and he is still is a book

> fanatic.) As it turned out, I was right. We were all " fooled " by his

> ability to " read " . It was very strange. He could look at the

pictures,

> tell the story and answer questions correctly. He could even

predict and

> infer. It appeared that he was actually reading. But as it turned

out,

> he was not truly reading. We finally figured out that he is severely

> dyslexic when he was in 3rd grade.

>

> has never not been in speech therapy, but I began taking

out

> of school for tutoring and therapies when he was in 3rd grade. He

> learned academic skills through specialized programs, with very

skilled

> teachers. One of the best things we did was to go to the Hope

Center in

> Wisconsin for the Dyslexia program. It is quite alternative -

but

> very effective for . Three years ago, when was entering 6th

> grade, I finally decided that I had to start a school because no one

> seemed to know how to teach children with complex learning

disabilities.

> We use a wide variety of techniques there. He loves the computer,

and

> taught himself to use a mouse whe he was 3. His typing is very

slow -

> but he searches the internet very quickly for things he wants to

read

> about! Learning is best achieved through motivation, and by keeping

the

> anxiety level low.

>

> By the way, what is SID?

>

> Bonnie

>

> > >Hi Bonnie,

> > Thanks for sharing! I was very interested to read your post. I

have a

> > daughter that is severely dyspraxic who will be 6 in February. On

> > this message board I typically dont see much posted from parents

> > who's children are teenagers.

> > Even with therapy and supplements I wonder what is ahead of us for

> > Gracie in her teen years. It is a very slow road for us. Gracie

only

> > says usually 1-2 words at a time, mostly nouns some verbs. Still

is

> > unable to dress herself, unable 90% of the time to use the toilet,

> > unable to feed herself with utensils still uses her hands to eat,

> > unable to ride a bike or big toy. She also has been diagnosed with

> > SID, ADHD, Hypotonia.

> > I would love to hear from you more about where your son was at

> > developmentally at this younger age and what types of therapy you

> > have found that really worked for him. Also what types of things

do

> > you do now to help him to compensate for his disablilities if any.

> > Such as you say he loves to read but cannot write, does using the

> > computer to write help him, or is that not an option for him? I

guess

> > I'm very curious to know what life looks like for a teenager with

> > this type of disablilty and how you handle things.

> >

> > Thank you so much for your post, I look forward to hearing more

from

> > you. I hope I'm not being too nosey!! Just tell me if I am!

> > Thanks,

> > Joni

> >

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Certainly no 2 kids are the same. I'm just sharing what has worked for

my children. ASD and apraxia would be a lot easier to deal with if

every child responded in the same way to each intervention!

Individuality isn't always a positive, right? Unfortunately we can

try to learn from each other, but essentially finding what works for

each child is trial and error.

My kids were both inconsistent, and they both had trouble with

language production, but ABA was a godsend for them both. There are of

course a lot of variables in any ABA program - the qualifications and

experience of the therapists, how well the therapists (and the case

supervisor) understand your child, how good the programming is, etc. I

don't know anything about Kaufman, but my daughter had very good

results with the Kaufman kit. The cards gave her gradual refinements

in her approximations for a variety of words. This was very helpful

and reduced her frustration.

> >

> > I'm sorry to hear that your son had a bad experience with ABA. It was

> > the one therapy that helped my daughter overcome her apraxia - our

> > approach was modified so that she didn't feel pressured to do things

> > she couldn't do yet. She really needed the intensity and reinforcement

> > that she got in ABA. Have you tried the Kaufman kit? Our case

> > supervisor used it and I was very impressed. It really helps a child

> > make incremental improvements in artic.

> >

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

,

How old was your child when you started her on the Kaufman Kit?

Were you able to do it yourself or did you have an SLP trained in

the method? I'm wondering if there is a particular age that is best

to start this type of therapy. Anyone else with ideas about this

feel free to comment too.

Just as an aside, I'm pretty surprised Kaufman missed an

apraxia dx; she is supposed to be one of the experts. That is very

frustrating, I'm sure.

Kristi

> > >

> > > I'm sorry to hear that your son had a bad experience with ABA.

It was

> > > the one therapy that helped my daughter overcome her apraxia -

our

> > > approach was modified so that she didn't feel pressured to do

things

> > > she couldn't do yet. She really needed the intensity and

reinforcement

> > > that she got in ABA. Have you tried the Kaufman kit? Our case

> > > supervisor used it and I was very impressed. It really helps a

child

> > > make incremental improvements in artic.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I went to the baby department of my local Wal-Mart and found a child

potty seat that sits on the toilet seat. It was right by the little

potties. It has handles on the side and my son loves it.

Bowden

> >

> > Hi Joni -

> >

> > You're not being nosey. I'm happy to share. I also wish I could

read

> > more from parents with teenagers and older children with

apraxia. I

> have

> > felt very alone with this problem. When was diagnosed 10

years

> ago,

> > information was very scarce. It has been a struggle to

understand

> how to

> > help because apraxia is still not as well understood as

autism

> or

> > down syndrome, for example.

> >

> > When was 6 he was fully verbal, but his speech was not easy

for

> > most people to understand. He was completely toliet trained at 4,

> > because of a skilled behavioral consultant and weeks of intense

> work in

> > the bathroom for 8 hours a day. (I can give you some suggestions

if

> you

> > are interested.) was very social at 6, and well liked by

other

> > kids. He fit in pretty well, even though he was not as mature

for

> his

> > age. He was in a general education classroom with a

> paraprofessional.

> > His behavior was excellent. He followed rules and routines well.

> This

> > was accomplished through years of working with him in a home-

based

> > program and a pre-school with a private aide. He was very

> uncoordinated,

> > and could not dress himself, play sports or games requiring

> sequencing

> > of movements. He was hypotonic from birth, and had a major right

> head

> > tilt, which is now completely gone. He was not able to cut with

> > scissors, draw or write other than scribbling, but he talked

about

> what

> > he was trying to draw or write a lot. His teachers and the IEP

team

> > thought his reading was on right on target for his age, and that

I

> was

> > too worried about that. (He loved books, and he is still is a

book

> > fanatic.) As it turned out, I was right. We were all " fooled " by

his

> > ability to " read " . It was very strange. He could look at the

> pictures,

> > tell the story and answer questions correctly. He could even

> predict and

> > infer. It appeared that he was actually reading. But as it

turned

> out,

> > he was not truly reading. We finally figured out that he is

severely

> > dyslexic when he was in 3rd grade.

> >

> > has never not been in speech therapy, but I began taking

> out

> > of school for tutoring and therapies when he was in 3rd grade. He

> > learned academic skills through specialized programs, with very

> skilled

> > teachers. One of the best things we did was to go to the Hope

> Center in

> > Wisconsin for the Dyslexia program. It is quite

alternative -

> but

> > very effective for . Three years ago, when was entering

6th

> > grade, I finally decided that I had to start a school because no

one

> > seemed to know how to teach children with complex learning

> disabilities.

> > We use a wide variety of techniques there. He loves the

computer,

> and

> > taught himself to use a mouse whe he was 3. His typing is very

> slow -

> > but he searches the internet very quickly for things he wants to

> read

> > about! Learning is best achieved through motivation, and by

keeping

> the

> > anxiety level low.

> >

> > By the way, what is SID?

> >

> > Bonnie

> >

> > > >Hi Bonnie,

> > > Thanks for sharing! I was very interested to read your post. I

> have a

> > > daughter that is severely dyspraxic who will be 6 in February.

On

> > > this message board I typically dont see much posted from

parents

> > > who's children are teenagers.

> > > Even with therapy and supplements I wonder what is ahead of us

for

> > > Gracie in her teen years. It is a very slow road for us.

Gracie

> only

> > > says usually 1-2 words at a time, mostly nouns some verbs.

Still

> is

> > > unable to dress herself, unable 90% of the time to use the

toilet,

> > > unable to feed herself with utensils still uses her hands to

eat,

> > > unable to ride a bike or big toy. She also has been diagnosed

with

> > > SID, ADHD, Hypotonia.

> > > I would love to hear from you more about where your son was at

> > > developmentally at this younger age and what types of therapy

you

> > > have found that really worked for him. Also what types of

things

> do

> > > you do now to help him to compensate for his disablilities if

any.

> > > Such as you say he loves to read but cannot write, does using

the

> > > computer to write help him, or is that not an option for him?

I

> guess

> > > I'm very curious to know what life looks like for a teenager

with

> > > this type of disablilty and how you handle things.

> > >

> > > Thank you so much for your post, I look forward to hearing

more

> from

> > > you. I hope I'm not being too nosey!! Just tell me if I am!

> > > Thanks,

> > > Joni

> > >

> >

> >

> >

> >