Re: Re: Help for Speech Issues (NACD)

February 20, 2008

This is what I do with regards to NACD and speech. When we started NACD, Mark

was still getting 'system' speech therapy. When that ceased to exist, I got a

specialized speech component added to his program for which we pay an extra $100

per evaluation. I take him to the speech pathologist (Lori Riggs) who is

wonderful and she designs a home therapy program that we do three times a day.

She has us doing a lot of oral motor work and Mark has just very slight issues

left.... still some small tongue/jaw dissassociation issues that remain that are

quite minor but still evident. If you are getting speech therapy provided by

the system, I would not interupt it. I am a firm believer in taking all the

free therapy one can get!

To say that any occupational therapy program be 'proven' is quite unrealistic

and that is simply what NACD is: Ocupational therapy that is global in nature.

The gang at NACD have studied all of the different therapies, visual therapy,

auditory therapy, ocupational therapy, physical therapy; academic studies, ADD

and ADHD issues..... you name it and they have studied all of the therapies out

there.

They look at your child and design a therapy program which they then teach to

you; your program may have 'stuff' from a broad range of therapeutic

interventions and thus you become the expert..... an expert on the issues

specific to your child. Sometimes people on this board will ask about reading

issues.... and I have no sollution. Why? Because we didn't need that therapy!

So.... I never had to learn the solution to various reading issues. Thus, I

slowly became an expert on therapies and remedies very specific to my own child:

Mark!

At any rate, this is how NACD works. The blessing of NACD is the wide variety of

therapies my child has had access to in conquoring his dyspraxia. He had so

many little darn things going wrong with him! One expert just couldn't give me

all of the things that he needed.

I pray that we can get his hands finished up and be done with dyspraxia for once

and for all! ....almost there.... but not quite! Those hands are just pesky and

stubborn!

Hope this answers your questions a little further.

Janice

Mother of Mark, 13

[sPAM][ ] Re: Help for Speech Issues (NACD)

I haven't found any SLP or OT who has heard of NACD. Not surprised,

it's their competition in the marketplace. Also, it's not locally

focused. Early Intervention tried to tell me that they do what the

NACD does -- put together a home program for you to work with your

child. As I have posted previously, EI doesn't give a program. It's

more like advice on how to work on speech during normal play. Not

the same, and also not specific enough. I'm not criticizing EI. It

does have value, it's just not the same thing. During Tyler's

sessions, I often consult with his (private) OT on 's NACD

program, and she gives great advice. But we worked with her for

years, and we were never given substantial homework. Just advice and

handouts.

My son who goes to NACD right now is no longer a speech kid,

so I can't speak from experience here. Yet. Tyler (19 months) is a

speech kid, and we are going there on 2/27. I will post what happens

regarding speech after that, and I will try to clarify their general

offerings on speech for this group. I do know that in addition to

the regular program they can do a more intense speech program for

extra $$$. (Someone said $200 recently, maybe Janice.) I am hoping

that we don't have to do the extra thing. Hopefully, I'll be more

useful on this topic next week.

in NJ

>

> I have been going back and forth on how to proceed with my

daughter. I had her

> evaluated by a speech therapist and an educational consultant. An

OT we had worked with

> also did an informal evaluation for me. I was pretty pleased with

how she came out, as

> she fell within the norm in most areas (though she did do better in

some areas than

> others). The one area she is still behind on is articulation

(though she tested OK in

> expressive language, and well in receptive language). Of course, I

knew she was behind in

> articulation. She has most of her age-appropriate sounds (in

isolation at least) except for

> " L " -- but her speech breaks down in multi-syllabic words and

longer sentences. Overall, I

> would say she sounds immature for her age (7).

>

> This is not to say her only issue is articulation. Although she

tested within the norm, I

> think she does have some low tone, she isn't exactly graceful, and

she is working a little

> slower in class than I would like.

>

> I took information about NACD to these professionals and I was

actually very surprised to

> find that one had never heard of it (the OT) and that the other two

were quite critical and

> opposed to it. Mostly, they said that it had not been

scientifically verified. The speech

> therapist specifically was surprised that I was thinking about it

as she said that it would

> not address speech issues. When I told her I had found out about it

from a group of

> parents of apraxic children, she was even more surprised. (She

actually kept telling me

> that I must be confused!)

>

> So -- I guess my question is -- am I confused? Would those of you

who are using NACD

> say that your child's primary issue is apraxia? And, if so, is

NACD your primary " speech

> therapy? " Is anyone trying to do speech therapy and NACD?

>

> Thanks!

>

February 20, 2008

We always have the local therapists review the NACD videos/program just to make

certain that we are not working against one another. I have never had anyone

disagree with any of the exercises. I have had concerns raised, and I address

those with Bob and make adjustments if need be.

Since I have no background in child development and since no one was giving me

any real home program (which therapists and the school told me numerous times

that they would do. We even have it in her iep THAT the parents are to get so

many sessions of parent counselling for follow through at home. NACD was the

comprehensive approach we have been looking for).

I will admit that our program for our child is very rigorous and overwhelming

at times but NACD truncated it for us. We will up the exercises in the summer

time when we have more efforts to put into the program. Four hours a day was

just not feasible wiht the other therapies and ther extracurricular swimming and

bowling and baseball.

We have not added the slp exercises with Lori yet as we wanted to time to

implement the exercises. I was told it was a $300 fee.

sharon

Janice <jscott@...> wrote: