] Re: Can someone tell me what differs in a child with mild versus severe apraxia?

[Guest guest]

Allyssa,

If you do not have the tone issues or hypo-mobility of the joints, then you are

indeed blessed. I know it doesn't seem like that right now, but in the long

run, I consider you lucky! Strength or lack therof is a big indicator in

full-blown developmental dyspraxia and if you can avoid this, and JUST be

dealing with speech rather than the whole body, the outlook for you is

wonderful.

Your boys are little yet and there a literally a myriad of activities for you to

choose from. Swimming, soccer, uncompetitive gymnastics or movement classes,

playing on the playground daily where they get a lot of exploration and

vestibular work is wonderful for them. Obviously, Tai Kwondo or any of the

marshal arts is wonderful for our children. Jumping on a trampoline is

wonderful for proprioception.

The key in activities is that you want to look for a 'sympathetic class' rather

than a competitively driven class.

Your boys are wonderfully active so get them moving each day, and keep them

moving each day. Teach them how to toss a light ball back and forth to each

other and play catch. Have them run races in the back yard. Get them down on

all fours and have them do crawling races or play with a ball, while crawling

since this activity really works the central nervous system. They could pretend

to be farm animals and race around on all-fours. Believe it or not, going back

for 'do-over' in crawling really helps with balance and coordination. In

addition, teach them how to march with high-knees, skip and try drawing a

hop-scotch on your front drive-way and see if they can do one-footed hops back

and forth.

These all work mobility and coordination. You should try to aim for a minimum

of 1/2 of good aerobic exercise (continuous) each day.... I always try to get

more in.

And yes. I do believe that exercise improves speech. I have seen it in my own

son. He will spend 5 or 6 hours on the ski hill and his speech will be clear as

a bell afterwards where before it was kind of slurred with poor articulation.

Increasing oxygen to the brain is a very good thing, especially for our acident

prone little wonders!

Janice

[sPAM] [ ] Re: Can someone tell me what differs in

a child with mild versus severe apraxia?

I just want to thank you all. This was exactly what I needed. I know

we'll get through this. I am stronger than most people I know, which

sometimes seems ironic since I feel like I'm always the one that gets

tested with these challenge...I digress. Anyway, we will face this

head on and God willing come out on the other side better for it.

The one thing that my boys don't seem to have, that I've read many

times is associated with apraxia,is low tone. I don't see it - yet -

in their fine or gross motor skills, at all. On that note, not only

do I want to get them help for their weaknesses I really want to

emphasize their strengths. They are really active, strong little

boys. I'd really like to help them find a passion, a way to connect

with others " normally " . I've been thinking about getting them

enrolled in sport type activities to help further develop their gross

motor abilities and hopefully find something along the way that they

are really good at. I think they are going to need that, as they

develop their identity.

I imagine since gross motor activities take motor control planning

that this can only help speech too...maybe its wishful thinking.

Anyway, has anyone with older children found one sport to be better

than another for an apraxic child?

I can do this.

Thank you again.

Allyssa

> >

> > Hi,

> >

> > I'm completely new to this. I've been researching an insane

amount

> in

> > the last week. Like many of you that were once in the beginning

> > stages of this, I'm trying to wrap my brain around this. My twin

> boys

> > have been receiving ST for the last year with little progress.

> This

> > was done through our school district.

> >

> > They just turned 3 and started speech school within our district.

> I

> > knew after the 2nd week when our SLP seemed perplexed by their

> lack

> > of speaking that we needed to go in for an eval. I scheduled them

> and

> > they will be evaluated through our local Children's Hospital

Rehab

> > Center on Monday.

> >

> > They are so normal in every way (in our eyes and in their

> evaluation)

> > and I guess I've been in denial or a naive hopeful parent.

> However,

> > after much reading I suspect that they not only have apraxia but

> > severe apraxia. I'm guessing but would love someone to clarify

> > what " severe " means. My boys spoke 1 word at 2 years old. They

now

> at

> > 3 have about 10 whole words and at least 14 partial words. They

> have

> > huge problems going from sound to sound in a word and thus most

> words

> > are one syllable. They have used a one sound " eh-eh "

communication

> > code since at least 18 months.

> >

> > I think I know what I'm going to find out but I guess I'm

> wondering

> > what the worst case scenario is. What are the chances they will

> ever

> > be able to communicate normally? I just feel so bad for them,

like

> > they are getting cheated out of a normal life. And yes, I'm also

> > throwing a pity party for myself. Not only do I have these two

> babies

> > I also have another set of twins just 11.5 months older then my

> > youngest two. My hands are so full. I can't imagine finding the

> > strength to tackle this. I know I'll find it but right now I feel

> > like I need to mourn the " normal " life that seems to be

> disappearing

> > before my eyes.

> >

> > Oh my gosh, I am so sorry that this turned into such a Poor Me

> post.

> > I've been trying to keep it together and I think I'm slowly

> > unraveling as we get closer to really knowing what's going on.

> Does

> > this get better?

> >

> > I would love words of wisdom, success stories or whatever sort of

> > support you can give. I'm just can't hold it together at the

> moment.

> >

> > Thank you so much.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Janice. I can definitely attest to this just from trial

and error. After coming here last week and seeing someone

recommending www.starfall.com, I checked it out with Caleb and

. They loved it. We just went through the ABC's portion but

each time after the computer said the letter and/or the sound the

letter made they would imitate it. I was amazed. Anyway, later that

day we went to a playground we frequent and much to my amazement both

of them climbed on and through things they always avoided. There was

an unmistakeable difference. I always thought they were just cautious

in what they decided to climb but I think now I get the correlation

between those types of gross motor activities and speech.

Astonishing...I feel like I've learned so much in the last week.

Anyway, thank you. Oh and I was wondering since you mentioned

skiing...how about ice skating? I started my older two in lessons a

couple weeks ago and was going to hold off on Caleb and but

maybe it would be a really good thing to get them going on. It'll

definitely require coordination, balance and strengh...all good

things for them to be working on, right?

Thanks!

Allyssa

> > >

> > > Hi,

> > >

> > > I'm completely new to this. I've been researching an insane

> amount

> > in

> > > the last week. Like many of you that were once in the

beginning

> > > stages of this, I'm trying to wrap my brain around this. My

twin

> > boys

> > > have been receiving ST for the last year with little

progress.

> > This

> > > was done through our school district.

> > >

> > > They just turned 3 and started speech school within our

district.

> > I

> > > knew after the 2nd week when our SLP seemed perplexed by

their

> > lack

> > > of speaking that we needed to go in for an eval. I scheduled

them

> > and

> > > they will be evaluated through our local Children's Hospital

> Rehab

> > > Center on Monday.

> > >

> > > They are so normal in every way (in our eyes and in their

> > evaluation)

> > > and I guess I've been in denial or a naive hopeful parent.

> > However,

> > > after much reading I suspect that they not only have apraxia

but

> > > severe apraxia. I'm guessing but would love someone to

clarify

> > > what " severe " means. My boys spoke 1 word at 2 years old.

They

> now

> > at

> > > 3 have about 10 whole words and at least 14 partial words.

They

> > have

> > > huge problems going from sound to sound in a word and thus

most

> > words

> > > are one syllable. They have used a one sound " eh-eh "

> communication

> > > code since at least 18 months.

> > >

> > > I think I know what I'm going to find out but I guess I'm

> > wondering

> > > what the worst case scenario is. What are the chances they

will

> > ever

> > > be able to communicate normally? I just feel so bad for them,

> like

> > > they are getting cheated out of a normal life. And yes, I'm

also

> > > throwing a pity party for myself. Not only do I have these

two

> > babies

> > > I also have another set of twins just 11.5 months older then

my

> > > youngest two. My hands are so full. I can't imagine finding

the

> > > strength to tackle this. I know I'll find it but right now I

feel

> > > like I need to mourn the " normal " life that seems to be

> > disappearing

> > > before my eyes.

> > >

> > > Oh my gosh, I am so sorry that this turned into such a Poor

Me

> > post.

> > > I've been trying to keep it together and I think I'm slowly

> > > unraveling as we get closer to really knowing what's going

on.

> > Does

> > > this get better?

> > >

> > > I would love words of wisdom, success stories or whatever

sort of

> > > support you can give. I'm just can't hold it together at the

> > moment.

> > >

> > > Thank you so much.

> > >

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>