Re: Question for you Apraxia veterens

[Guest guest]

My son has apraxia and PDD NOS. He is 4 1/2. He has wonderful receptive

language and can say a few words on his own and with the Kaufman Cards he can

say many words. I don't think anyone knows what the future holds for their

child, I don't think anyone should promise things they don't know. Whatever the

outcome your child is great. Each child is different and apraxia can

affect each child differently. I am in the same boat you are, terrified about

what my child's future will be with regards to his speech. I guess the bottom

line is you just don't know. Our speech therapist working with our son, said

she expects our son to be able to talk but she cannot say when. Just take

one day at a time and celebrate all the little strides your child makes with

speech. It is so hard and as a Mom you so desperately want to hear your

child's voice. Just provide the therapy and believe with all your heart that

your

child will talk. Just remember you are doing everything you can for your

child and you are providing everything that will help. Jen

**************Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living.

(http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/

2050827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598)

[Guest guest]

Bell, It is a scarey thing when you first learn that you child has

apraxia, but great gains can be made. My grandson started early intervention

at 18 months; does group and individual therapy; and today (he will be 5 March

9th), I sat at Mc's in the play area with him and heard him conversing

very well with 5 total strangers. He now loves answering the phone and can do

so quite well. We will hold him out of Kindergarten for a year, and, yes, he

will be ready to communicate very well with his peers and adults. It can

happen with much attention and encouragement from you and other professionals.

We never did any of the biomed stuff, and he is doing great. I wish the same

for your son and peace for you. Just keep plugging along every day, and it

will get better and better. Blessings....Fay, Damon's Grandma....When I picked

Damon up from preschool today, he said in a very clear way, " I love you,

Grandma, and I missed you while you were gone. " There was a time when I

dreamed about hearing him say something like that.....What a joy.....

[ ] Question for you Apraxia veterens

My 22m. old son was just diagnosed with verbal apraxia. We've been told by

three professionals that he has NO other issues, just speech.

Like all parents, one of our first questions was, " Will he ever speak

normally " and " how long will it take to show progress, and for him to be

considered " normal " ? I can't seem to interpret whether our family service

coordinator (through EI) and our SLP are being " honest " for lack of better

words, or just trying to help soften the blow by sugar coating their response.

Both of them, who both happen to specialize in Apraxia, have said they expect by

the time he reaches Kindergarten, the apraxia will be a thing of the past and no

one will ever know the difference.

Now I was Thrilled to learn that, but... (there is always a but!) after

scouring the internet and educating myself as much as I possibly can in the last

two weeks, I'm starting to doubt their optimism. I don't think they would

blatently lie to us, but I just wonder whether they would say this so we don't

lose all hope. Would anyone care to share your opinions on this?

I've just got done watching several sound recording clips from

www.debtsmart.com and that child (the site moderator's child) also had NO other

issues but at age 14, you can still tell he has difficulty speaking. I realize

we are at a slight advantage that we are starting therapy while he is still very

young (he'll be two at the end of April). Anyway, sorry this got so long but I

would love to hear from any of you who are willing to share your experience and

opinions. We have no idea what to expect for our little boy's future and that

terrifies me.

Thank you!

[Guest guest]

Recovery times vary widely, based on interventions, severity of the

disorder, etc. My son is 5-1/2 and tests as age-appropriate for

speech. The apraxia appears occasionally when he is trying out a

new, polysyllabic word (e.g. we carpool with a family that has a four

syllable Italian name, and it still throws him off occasionally).

As far as not having other issues, define " issues " . I think there is

a lot of emphasis on the fact that apraxia is NOT a cognitive or

behaviorial disorder. People often underestimate our children

because of how they sound. Apraxia can be co-morbid with other

conditions, and that can get confusing. A lot of kids with autism

have apraxia, but a lot of kids with just apraxia get labeled with

autism because people do not understand the disorder.

That said, mild hypotonia is defintely seen with a lot of apraxic

kids. This is true of my son. Because it is mild, it is not always

detected and addressed early on. I dx'd my son's hypotonia. Our SLP

and pediatrician disagreed, but the OT who did the evaluation was

stunned that they didn't pick it up -- it was that obvious.

There can also be fine and gross motor delays because of the planning

aspect of apraxia. Is that a separate issue? Depends on your

viewpoint...

Gotta run -- baby crying.

in NJ

>

> My 22m. old son was just diagnosed with verbal apraxia. We've been

told by three professionals that he has NO other issues, just

speech.

>

> Like all parents, one of our first questions was, " Will he ever

speak normally " and " how long will it take to show progress, and for

him to be considered " normal " ? I can't seem to interpret whether our

family service coordinator (through EI) and our SLP are

being " honest " for lack of better words, or just trying to help

soften the blow by sugar coating their response. Both of them, who

both happen to specialize in Apraxia, have said they expect by the

time he reaches Kindergarten, the apraxia will be a thing of the past

and no one will ever know the difference.

>

> Now I was Thrilled to learn that, but... (there is always a but!)

after scouring the internet and educating myself as much as I

possibly can in the last two weeks, I'm starting to doubt their

optimism. I don't think they would blatently lie to us, but I just

wonder whether they would say this so we don't lose all hope. Would

anyone care to share your opinions on this?

>

> I've just got done watching several sound recording clips from

www.debtsmart.com and that child (the site moderator's child) also

had NO other issues but at age 14, you can still tell he has

difficulty speaking. I realize we are at a slight advantage that we

are starting therapy while he is still very young (he'll be two at

the end of April). Anyway, sorry this got so long but I would love

to hear from any of you who are willing to share your experience and

opinions. We have no idea what to expect for our little boy's future

and that terrifies me.

>

> Thank you!

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

No other issues is a tricky thing. At 22 months I am not sure anyone

can know that one way or the other. I doubt anyone is sugarcoating

things but I also doubt they can know anything for sure. This child

is young. If you have not read The Late Talker I would try to do so

in order to see what other conditions may be there and rule them in

or out.

Our old speech therapist told me my son did not have apraxia

but " they are all a little apraxic " and that he would talk and it

would be fine. That was in April, at 26 months old. We have come a

long way since then and he is 3 but he aged out of EI not coming out

of it the way she described and she left here with her head hung low.

Oddly, he surpassed what I thought he would do by now. The new ST,

who started her career specializing in Apraxia, formally evaluated my

son today. She said something very interesting to me today: " In the

old days, there was pure apraxia...you knew it when you saw it. There

was apraxia and then there was the typical speech kid stuff...lisps,

etc. Now there are all these kids with apraxia of speech and typical

development otherwise. I can't figure out where it is coming from. "

My kid is mild but he has something and it is not going away easily

or quiely into the night but there is hope. If I were in your shoes I

would constantly watch this kid and follow your mommy gut. Milestones

matter. Make sure the child hits them and if he does not ask lots of

questions. There are folders on this board that cover a lot of ares.

You don't have to go crazy looking through it all right now but the

therapy folder has some good little kid ideas in there. There are

other considerations...allergy, environmental, etc. Not sure if that

applies or not but you need not take this on all at once. One day at

a time.

Whatever your child has you can handle it and your child can do well.

Hang tough, feel supported and keep reading, researching and loving

your child. It may not be easy but you will get through this.

> >

> > My 22m. old son was just diagnosed with verbal apraxia. We've

been

> told by three professionals that he has NO other issues, just

> speech.

> >

> > Like all parents, one of our first questions was, " Will he ever

> speak normally " and " how long will it take to show progress, and

for

> him to be considered " normal " ? I can't seem to interpret whether

our

> family service coordinator (through EI) and our SLP are

> being " honest " for lack of better words, or just trying to help

> soften the blow by sugar coating their response. Both of them, who

> both happen to specialize in Apraxia, have said they expect by the

> time he reaches Kindergarten, the apraxia will be a thing of the

past

> and no one will ever know the difference.

> >

> > Now I was Thrilled to learn that, but... (there is always a

but!)

> after scouring the internet and educating myself as much as I

> possibly can in the last two weeks, I'm starting to doubt their

> optimism. I don't think they would blatently lie to us, but I just

> wonder whether they would say this so we don't lose all hope.

Would

> anyone care to share your opinions on this?

> >

> > I've just got done watching several sound recording clips from

> www.debtsmart.com and that child (the site moderator's child) also

> had NO other issues but at age 14, you can still tell he has

> difficulty speaking. I realize we are at a slight advantage that

we

> are starting therapy while he is still very young (he'll be two at

> the end of April). Anyway, sorry this got so long but I would love

> to hear from any of you who are willing to share your experience

and

> opinions. We have no idea what to expect for our little boy's

future

> and that terrifies me.

> >

> > Thank you!

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Good job Damon!!!! Fay, what a marvelous thing that must have been to hear!

,

My son's first slp said would never talk. It's so hard not to be

juvenile and run back to her and say " See!! I knew he would "

While worry is part of being a parent, don't let it paralyze you. We all have

those

fears of what the future brings. Just be assured that every gain your son makes

you will celebrate it and shout it from the rooftops. I try and dwell on how far

my son has come, and encourage every gain he's made. I have those days where

i have a pity party but then the next day I'm up and running again.

No one can know for sure what the future brings for our kids, just take things

day by day and provide all the tools necessary to help your child succeed.

Sandy

[childrensapraxiane t] Question for you Apraxia veterens

My 22m. old son was just diagnosed with verbal apraxia. We've been told by three

professionals that he has NO other issues, just speech.

Like all parents, one of our first questions was, " Will he ever speak normally "

and " how long will it take to show progress, and for him to be considered

" normal " ? I can't seem to interpret whether our family service coordinator

(through EI) and our SLP are being " honest " for lack of better words, or just

trying to help soften the blow by sugar coating their response. Both of them,

who both happen to specialize in Apraxia, have said they expect by the time he

reaches Kindergarten, the apraxia will be a thing of the past and no one will

ever know the difference.

Now I was Thrilled to learn that, but... (there is always a but!) after scouring

the internet and educating myself as much as I possibly can in the last two

weeks, I'm starting to doubt their optimism. I don't think they would blatently

lie to us, but I just wonder whether they would say this so we don't lose all

hope. Would anyone care to share your opinions on this?

I've just got done watching several sound recording clips from www.debtsmart.

com and that child (the site moderator's child) also had NO other issues but at

age 14, you can still tell he has difficulty speaking. I realize we are at a

slight advantage that we are starting therapy while he is still very young

(he'll be two at the end of April). Anyway, sorry this got so long but I would

love to hear from any of you who are willing to share your experience and

opinions. We have no idea what to expect for our little boy's future and that

terrifies me.

Thank you!

[Guest guest]

Re: My son's first slp said would never talk.

How awesome that you persevered and helped your child in spite of

what must have been something so difficult to hear. Go Sandy! Go

!

>

> Good job Damon!!!! Fay, what a marvelous thing that must have been

to hear!

>

> ,

> My son's first slp said would never talk. It's so hard

not to be

> juvenile and run back to her and say " See!! I knew he would "

> While worry is part of being a parent, don't let it paralyze you.

We all have those

> fears of what the future brings. Just be assured that every gain

your son makes

> you will celebrate it and shout it from the rooftops. I try and

dwell on how far

> my son has come, and encourage every gain he's made. I have those

days where

> i have a pity party but then the next day I'm up and running again.

> No one can know for sure what the future brings for our kids, just

take things

> day by day and provide all the tools necessary to help your child

succeed.

>

> Sandy

>

>

> [childrensapraxiane t] Question for you Apraxia veterens

>

> My 22m. old son was just diagnosed with verbal apraxia. We've been

told by three professionals that he has NO other issues, just speech.

>

> Like all parents, one of our first questions was, " Will he ever

speak normally " and " how long will it take to show progress, and for

him to be considered " normal " ? I can't seem to interpret whether our

family service coordinator (through EI) and our SLP are

being " honest " for lack of better words, or just trying to help

soften the blow by sugar coating their response. Both of them, who

both happen to specialize in Apraxia, have said they expect by the

time he reaches Kindergarten, the apraxia will be a thing of the past

and no one will ever know the difference.

>

> Now I was Thrilled to learn that, but... (there is always a but!)

after scouring the internet and educating myself as much as I

possibly can in the last two weeks, I'm starting to doubt their

optimism. I don't think they would blatently lie to us, but I just

wonder whether they would say this so we don't lose all hope. Would

anyone care to share your opinions on this?

>

> I've just got done watching several sound recording clips from

www.debtsmart. com and that child (the site moderator's child) also

had NO other issues but at age 14, you can still tell he has

difficulty speaking. I realize we are at a slight advantage that we

are starting therapy while he is still very young (he'll be two at

the end of April). Anyway, sorry this got so long but I would love to

hear from any of you who are willing to share your experience and

opinions. We have no idea what to expect for our little boy's future

and that terrifies me.

>

> Thank you!

>

>