Re: Types of Apraxia / SID defined

[Guest guest]

Good Morning Bonnie,

I too, appreciate hearing of older children with apraxia. It *must*

feel isolating not to have many others with teens diagnosed!

Interesting that he was diagnosed so long ago....I didn't realize many

people 'knew' of apraxia a decade ago.

I can answer your question about SID.

SID = Sensory Integration Dysfunction is the inability of the brain

to correctly process information brought in by the senses. Sensory

Integration Dysfunction (SID/DSI) or sensory processing deficits can

come in many different forms. No two children will be affected in the

same ways. SID/DSI was first noticed in children with autism or who

had autistic traits but is also seen in children with other

disabilities such as cerebral palsy or ADD/ADHD or can be present by

itself. Children can have mild, moderate or severe SI deficits.

SID/DSI is treatable with therapy and sensory diet.

Below is a list of other behaviors exibited by children with SID/DSI:

-- Loves to spin, swing and jump--this will seem to calm them down

after several minutes.

-- Complains of how clothing feels, does not like tags left in their

clothing and have to have their socks on just so, or a certain kind of

sock.

-- Picky eaters--get stuck on one certain food and is basically

impossible to get them to eat anything else.

-- Oversensitivity to smells. Or undersensitivity--may sniff people,

objects, food.

-- Oversensitivity to sounds--will frequently cover ears. Or

undersensivity.

-- May have an exceptionally high pain tolerance

-- May tire easily

-- Unusually high or low activity level

-- Resists new situations

-- Problems with muscle tone, coordination, motor planning

-- Can be very impulsive or distractible.

-- Persistently walks on toes to avoid sensory input from the bottom

of the feet. This can also be a sign of cerebral palsy if the child is

unable to bring their feet down flat when asked or trying.

These are just a few of the symptoms that children with SID/DSI can

exibit.

Here is the sensory integration international site:

http://www.sensoryint.com/

HTH!

Cheryl

>

> 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]

Thanks Cheryl -

Thanks - Oh yes, I am familiar with sensory integration problems - just

never heard it referred to as " SID " .

Bonnie

> >

> > 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]

Good Morning Bonnie,

I too, appreciate hearing of older children with apraxia. It *must*

feel isolating not to have many others with teens diagnosed!

Interesting that he was diagnosed so long ago....I didn't realize many

people 'knew' of apraxia a decade ago.

I can answer your question about SID.

SID = Sensory Integration Dysfunction is the inability of the brain

to correctly process information brought in by the senses. Sensory

Integration Dysfunction (SID/DSI) or sensory processing deficits can

come in many different forms. No two children will be affected in the

same ways. SID/DSI was first noticed in children with autism or who

had autistic traits but is also seen in children with other

disabilities such as cerebral palsy or ADD/ADHD or can be present by

itself. Children can have mild, moderate or severe SI deficits.

SID/DSI is treatable with therapy and sensory diet.

Below is a list of other behaviors exibited by children with SID/DSI:

-- Loves to spin, swing and jump--this will seem to calm them down

after several minutes.

-- Complains of how clothing feels, does not like tags left in their

clothing and have to have their socks on just so, or a certain kind of

sock.

-- Picky eaters--get stuck on one certain food and is basically

impossible to get them to eat anything else.

-- Oversensitivity to smells. Or undersensitivity--may sniff people,

objects, food.

-- Oversensitivity to sounds--will frequently cover ears. Or

undersensivity.

-- May have an exceptionally high pain tolerance

-- May tire easily

-- Unusually high or low activity level

-- Resists new situations

-- Problems with muscle tone, coordination, motor planning

-- Can be very impulsive or distractible.

-- Persistently walks on toes to avoid sensory input from the bottom

of the feet. This can also be a sign of cerebral palsy if the child is

unable to bring their feet down flat when asked or trying.

These are just a few of the symptoms that children with SID/DSI can

exibit.

Here is the sensory integration international site:

http://www.sensoryint.com/

HTH!

Cheryl

>

> 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]

Thanks Cheryl -

Thanks - Oh yes, I am familiar with sensory integration problems - just

never heard it referred to as " SID " .

Bonnie

> >

> > 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

> > >

> >

> >

> >

> >