Re: New Topics

[Guest guest]

-

I just wanted you to know that I'm working on some replies for your

questions-- there were a lot of them! LOL

But I didn't want you to think that the post had gone unnoticed--

Becky

**************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]

Hi ,

I cannot help you with the school district issue as I am from Canada.

Please excuse the fact that I will use the words dyspraxia rather than apraxia.

My 13 year old only had apraxia of speech when he started out as well. Over

time, it became global dyspraxia thus I tend to use this wording. Obviously,

global dyspraxia is far worse than just apraxia of speech as it affects every

muscle group of the body.

When you speak of equipment to purchase.... it is a huge subject and I could

absolutely empty your bank account! First of all, you need to consider whether

or not your child has low muscle tone or hypotonia. If the answer is yes, then

I would spend a fortune on a fabulous outdoor playset. I would look for a

playset that had a climbing wall (or a climbing net) to work motor planning,

monkey bars to build core muscle tone and body strength, a sandbox to work

tactility, a swing or a tire swing to work the vestibular. While we would all

like to get to the playground everyday, us moms are plenty busy! If your child

can play in the backyard all day long working his core muscle groups and

experience and have a blast at the same time.... then this is wonderful!

Other 'wish' list items include: balance ball to sit on instead of a chair

(builds core body strength), horns and straws program by Talktools.net (builds

lip muscles), a myomunchee (15 minutes a day) to build muscle tone of the jaw.

a variey to bubble blowers to work the diaphram and breathing (while having fun

at the same time), various indoor tunnels and tubes for my boy to crawl through

and work his central nervous system, various play steps to work motor planning.

Lets see..... I would like a scooterboard.... the child lies on the scooterboard

and rolls down a line on the sidewalk and up and down the driveway (this

develops proprioception and the vestibular for balance). I would get the

picture book " Where's Waldo " and work the central detail vision by trying to

find Waldo..... of course you won't know if central detail vision is a problem

(as it is for many dyspraxics) until you're in the 3rd grade or so.... but I

would work it now so that you don't have to find out the hard way as I did....

many of our kids overuse their peripheral vision and thus have trouble locating

objects that stare them right in the face! Playing " I spy " is a really great

way to work this.

Are you broke yet? There are oral motor programs and other lovely goodies

available at different therapeutic stores. I like Southpaw Enterprises. Check

out http://www.southpawenterprises.com/store/sp-musicaloral,category.asp for

some great ideas for therapy at home.

With regards to the other sibling..... I cannot speak for the younger ones as my

mind does not stretch that far back. Here is something to keep an eye out for

down the road. It is never easy to balance the situation. There was a time

that my NT daughter got all of the attention for as Mark could do less and less

in the realm of sports, he became the observer as we traveled to 'her'

competitions and took care of her needs.

Time went on, she became his second Mommy and looked after him. She always took

care that other kids didn't bully him and when they did, she informed the

appropriate school staff. After a few years though, she no longer wanted to go

to the same school as my son. This saddened me but I understood. She needed an

escape from his dyspraxia so I quietly granted her wish.

As he started to get better and heal in the past two years, she has resented our

time doing therapy though 'she gets it'. She is older and mature and the

straight A student. I believe that she has become perfect in order to

straighten the balancing act that I perform with regards to dyspraxia. We try

to talk about the time that he gets but she does not; I bought the book, " The

Other One " which speaks of siblings of kids with special needs and the guilt

that they feel because they are whole and their siblings are not. We talk as a

family at length and I try to reward her for all she has done for our family.

This year, I am pulling money out of the dyspraxia budget to send her on a

school trip to Greece. Only a few kids were selected and I made sure that she

got her reward.

As Mark heals, she doesn't know how to treat him. At first, she was annoyed

that he wouldn't respond to her 'mothering' ways. They fought non-stop as he

insisted on being respected and acknowledge. Mark's auditory processing got

better and his short term memory got more advanced.... he started winning the

arguments. She didn't know what to do!

Now, she is getting used to the new Mark. Instead of mothering him in a

'know-it-all' bossy manner, she is teaching him what to expect in grade 7; how

to study for exams and helping him transition toward success.

I cannot tell you that it is easy. Dyspraxia/apraxia can be very tough on the

unaffected sibling. I wish I had a primer going into all of this. When my son

was 3, I was told he would grow out of apraxia. Instead, he grew into dyspraxia

and a host of other problems.

BUT.... we are close! We are loving! We are probably closer than many other

families that have no issues. We have struggled and survived. Our love keeps

us strong and we appreciate the small stuff.

Janice

Mother of Mark, 13

[sPAM][ ] New Topics

Ok--so I will bite. I am on the verge of leaving this group because of the

tone of many posts. The invitation has been made to ask about new topics of

conversation--here are my current questions:

Caveat: I have been lurking for about a year. I have an actual dx (via ped.

neurologist) my son is 3 1/2 Receives ST/OT privately and through the school

district--which I am VERY happy with. We are going through the hoops at Mayo

Clinic to see Dr. Edyth Strand in March. Our genetic testing is pending. I have

full faith in my ped. and I have no desire to go the DAN route. He is

supplemented with the NN 3-6-9 and I am carefully considering Vit. E.

Topics/Questions:

How do people work through the unique sibling issues surrounding an apraxic

child? By this I mean how does one facilitate--but not direct--free play? Help

siblings with jealousy over attention paid to the apraxic sibling? Convey to

siblings that therapy is work--not something they would desire to do themselves

(ie: siblings think that going to " play " is fun and not an outgrowth of

developemental delay), Help siblings to not talk for apraxic sibling in social

and home situations?

What SPECIFIC OT equipment seem to be the " best buys " over the long run? Which

kind of swing? Is a swing with the door brace a better investment or is it

better to put one in a rafter/floor joist for a sensory room?

Because I fully intend to send my child to our neighborhood school, what

advice would more experienced parents who are working with their school

districts give in regard to questions to ask or concerns to raise in upcoming

IEP's I have an excellent relationship with my son's team so this will not be an

adversarial conversation. I am simply trying to be proactive. I am thinking

about topics like assistive communication, transition to mainstream classroom,

classroom accomodations like sitting on a ball or having something to handle or

chew to provide tactile/oral input. Due to a July birthday, he won't be going to

Kindergarten till he's 6.

What kind of success--if any--have more experienced folks seen with music

therapy? What kinds/approaches have you used? What age is a good age to

start--with realistic expectations?

Where is a good/reputable listing of conferences on Apraxia? I have seen the

list on the apraxia.net site...is that the gold standard for listings or is

there another place that catalogs that information?

I have more--but that is a start. Hopefully this will facilitate some on point

discussion which a wider aray of people may find useful.

Regards

---------------------------------

Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search.

[Guest guest]

Hi !

For the best OT devices I have a few. The ball pit was awesome for

us. (I'm just going to use images from Google -but you can buy these

at most toy stores)

http://www.pjentertainments.co.uk/pictures/ballponds/big/ballPit0038_1.jpg We

also found the trampoline with the handle to be very good to

use for home based speech therapy in that for Tanner and many others

the motion helped stimulate speech.

http://www.letterbox.co.uk/images/big/6145.jpg Also you can't forget

the BIG BALL for therapy

http://babystepspeds.com/images/Tara_sitting_kid_on_ball.jpg I'll

get all the posts for you on all of the above. We also found playdoh

to be great for motor skills...light bright for motor skills. You

can of course find OT products online at places like Super Duper

http://www.superduperinc.com/landing/ot2.asp?id=63 or information at

Speechville

http://www.speechville.com/occupational-therapy/occupational-therapy.html

For school I know you have a great relationship but I'd make sure you

have private evaluations who can help in setting up specific 3 and 6

month goals for your child. Don't leave that up to the school

professionals alone no matter how much you trust them. As I've said -

trust shouldn't be one of the words you come to IEP meetings with.

Come armed with knowledge, private evaluations of what is

appropriate, a nice manner, and don't underestimate a tape recorder.

But leave trust home for that IEP meeting. You have The Late Talker

book don't you? There is a ton of info in there for IEPs. Also in

addition to not underestimating the tape recorder (for some reason

some school professionals don't remember certain promises made

without it) don't underestimate a phone call or initial consult with

a special ed attorney in your area even if you don't need one yet.

The confidence will beam out of you because you'll know that no

matter what your child will get what is appropriate.

Here's a poem to help with your nice manner since it's not in the

book:

Dr. Seuss IEP Poem

I do not like these iep's

I do not like them, jeeze louise

We test, we check

We plan, we meet

But nothing ever seems complete.

Would you, could you

Like the form?

I do not like the form I see

Not page 1, not 2, not 3

Another change

A brand new box

I think we all have lost our rocks

Could you all meet here or there?

We could not all meet here or there

We cannot all fit anywhere

Not in a room

Not in the hall

There seems to be no space at all

Would you, could you meet again?

I cannot meet again next week

No lunch, no prep

Please hear me speak

No, not at dusk, no not at dawn

At 4:00pm I should be gone

Could you hear while all speak out?

Would you write the words they spout?

I could not hear, I would not write

This does not need to be a fight

Sign here, date there

Mark this, check that

Beware the students' advocate

You do not like them

So you say

Try again! Try again!

And you may

If you let me be,

I will try again

You will see

Say!

I almost like these ieps's

I think I'll write 6003

And I will practice day and night

Until they say

" you got it right! "

For siblings we never had any problems since both our kids had their

share of " attention " being both were special needs when young -so

I'll leave that to archives from 3 awesome " old timers " Deborah, Sue,

and -who I hope come back to join us again! (and when you think this post

is over it's not -more answers below this archive)

Re: The Power of Siblings - long and rambling , sorry

Hi

found this quite moving.

I have just come out of a christmas where Louis (aged 10)asked me in

detail about whether I thought he had autism or not. This was out of

the blue. Louis is not only very clearly NOT ASD but had also watched

his brother's swift transformation when Charlie was about 20 months

and Louis was about 5 1/2. He can talk very eloquently about how the

MMR damaged his brother . He is perhaps too smart and I had taken too

much for granted that he understood why his brother was so damaged

and he wasn't. The most interesting thing to me was how the

conversation came up and the most unexpected turn it took.

Late one night he had come home from a party and had not been brave

enough to ask the girl he likes to dance. As he lay in bed he asked

me about why he feels so different. He said the other kids are all so

confident and he dosen't feel like that. I assured him that however

he feels inside, he looks to the outside world just as relaxed as

the " cool kids " do. I told him the best kept secret in the world is

that they all feel just the same but are too scared to talk about it.

Then he asked if I thought he might be just a little bit like

Charlie. I tried to gather my thoughts but confessed to him that I

was surprised by the question and asked if, before I answered, he

could tell me what he would say if I thought he did have a bit of ASD.

He said it would be fine. I really didn't expect that. I told him I

truley didn't believe that he had any autism and that what he is

feeling is what a lot of kids feel - that even adults find some

situations like that difficult, not knowing how to start

converstaions etc. EVERYONE pretends to feel confident but guys at

parties all drink to feel brave while girls spend hours getting ready

and still worry that their bum looks fat.

Now I am not in denial or anything - Louis really is completely ASD

free but I was so surprised that for him it has none of the stigma

that he has seen the world show to Charlie.He really said it would be

OK that Charlie is just a bit different but is actually much nicer

than a lot of other people. We have always talked very very openly

with Louis about Charlie , right from when we first suspected

something devastating had happened to Charlie. At times I worried

that we had told him too much but I think now it was right - kids

imaginations are sometimes worse than reality. Anyway - he has seen

people be so rude, abusing me and Charlie, has had adults say rude

things to him about his brother and yet he sees Charlie very clearly

and sees so much that is pure and untainted in him.

The freedom to talk about things with us was so important. I remeber

having to listen as he told me that sometimes he hated Charlie and

then felt so guilty. That was back when Charlie was attacking him and

while I was able to reassure him that his feeling were noramal and

understandable it was his guilt that was the hardest to watch.

Louis teaches Charlie so much, how to do up his seat belt, how to

play football, how to use the Game cube ( dear God). And yet I think

that Charlie has helped to make Louis a very gentle soul who is

perhaps older than he should be but who is quite staggeringly brave

in his determination that Charlie faces the world in the knowledge

that his big brother is by his side.

This is particularly interesting to me as Madeleine just reaches an

age where she already turns to me questioningly at the way Charlie

reacts to her clumsey interactions. I wonder how that relationship

will change and develop.

Two last thoughts - we are moving house and during our house hunting

Louis became quite indignant when he realised that we are hoping to

find somewhere with accomadation like a granny flat that Charlie can

spread into as he becomes more adult and can hopefully cope with a

little bit of privacy and independence. Apparently Charlie is going

to live with Louis as soon as Louis finishes University - that is of

course why he is learning to cook Charlies special food ( stupid me!)

And two days ago our little Moo having made many many single sounds (

ssss for shoes etc) finally said her first word " (L)ouis " . Louis

burst into huge gulping tears. I realised that he had been anxious

about her starting to speak without ever saying or even asking me

when babies first talk. You can't ever anticiapte what these siblings

are worrying about. I think sometimes they don't even know themselves.

I truley believe that whilst I would have Charlies autism go away in

a heartbeat if I could , I would NEVER wish to loose all that these

years have taught me. I am a better mother, a better person because

of Charlie. I can only wonder if Louis is the extraordinary child

that he is because of Charlie or if he was always meant to be so.

Whatever the case when I find the thought of God hard to find in the

midst of some of the dark days we have been through I know that

something benign must exist in this universe to have sent Charlie

such a soul to hold his hand through this life.

Good grief - I am a lapsed Catholic too- I must need a lie down LOL

Take care all

Deborah

> > Siblings -- The Greatest Advocates

> >

> > " It's been called life's longest relationship, and our bond

> > with our siblings usually is just that. Who else could

> > witness our joys and sorrows and put their arms around us

> > through all of life's seasons? " Dr. Bob Naseef

> > http://www.specialfamilies.com/

> >

> > didn't see Noah as a fragile child; saw Noah as a

> > fun-loving sibling.

> >

> > At age two, Noah was so tiny and fragile that I literally

> > carried him around on a pillow and he rarely responded to

> > the world around him. We went out one night, leaving the

> > older siblings in charge. When we returned home, although,

> > what we saw nearly gave us a heart attack, we were greeted

> > with the most incredible sounds -- squealing and laughter

> > coming from Noah. Noah's big brother, was running

> > through the house carrying Noah by his ankles. Noah was

> > reaching out to catch another sibling. Noah was rough

> > housing and loving every minute of it. Noah was having fun!

> >

> >

> > A funny thing happened about a month later when we took

> > Noah to Gillette's Children's Hospital, a hospital that

> > specializes in children with special needs. The physical

> > therapist picked up Noah by his ankles. She did this as a

> > stretching exercise. was totally on the right

> > track... knew exactly what Noah needed.

> >

> > I learned a valuable lesson from . I was focusing on

> > Noah's disability, treating him as if he would break at any

> > moment. I was so overprotective that I failed to recognize

> > Noah's need for sibling interaction and good old fun.

> > saw Noah as a " complete " child, not as a sibling with

> > special needs. Without a doubt, siblings become the support

> > system for their special siblings.

> >

> > The Balancing Act

> >

> > In typical families, it can be difficult to divide your

> > time and attention between your children. When you're the

> > parent of special children and healthy children, it can

> > become overwhelming. By understanding the individual needs

> > of your children, you can achieve a balance in your family.

> >

> > What Siblings Think and Feel

> >

> > Siblings may feel sadness, because they find it difficult

> > to accept the disability.

> > Siblings may fear that they will develop the disability.

> > Siblings may feel guilt; secretly blaming themselves,

> > because they're not disabled.

> > Siblings may feel " different " leaving them isolated from

> > their friends and family.

> > Siblings may feel jealousy because the special sibling gets

> > more time and attention.

> > Siblings may feel angry because their sibling has special

> > needs.

> > Siblings may feel frustrated because they simply don't have

> > the maturity or wisdom to fully grasp the needs of their

> > special sibling.

> > Siblings may try to over compensate, in order to gain

> > attention and acceptance.

> > Siblings may find it harder to make friends because peers

> > don't understand the needs of special families.

> >

> > Support for Siblings

> >

> > We can make life easier for all of our children by

> > following a few simple suggestions.

> >

> > Talk to your children in depth about the special needs of

> > their sibling.

> > Don't wait for them to ask questions because they may not

> > be able to openly express themselves.

> > Although, they may be more than willing to be helpful,

> > don't allow them to take on the role of caregiver.

> > Give them an opportunity to voice their opinions when

> > making family decisions.

> > Give your children individual attention; share a special

> > interest with them.

> > Make sure you always praise them by showing your gratitude

> > when they do help.

> > Support groups for siblings can be very beneficial.

> > Respite care can be very helpful, allowing you individual

> > time with each child.

> > Develop a schedule, so your children can know what to

> > expect.

> > Give them something to look forward to by planning special

> > events.

> >

> > Most importantly, take one day at a time...and if that's

> > too much, try one moment at a time. "

> >

> > Resources:

> >

> > Children With Disabilities: Understanding Sibling Issues

> > http://www.kidsource.com/NICHCY/sibling.issues.dis.all.3.6.html-

> > Suggestions for Families

> >

> > Children With Disabilities: Understanding Sibling Issues

> > Family- Stress Factors

> > http://www.kidsource.com/NICHCY/sibling.issues.dis.all.3.3.html

> >

> > The ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education

> > (ERIC EC)

> > Siblings of Children with Disabilities (April 2002)

> > http://ericec.org/faq/siblings.html

> >

> > Sibling Support Project

> > http://www.thearc.org/siblingsupport/

> > The Sibling Support Project is a national program dedicated

> > to the interests of brothers and sisters of people with

> > special health and developmental needs. The Project's

> > primary goal is to increase the availability of peer

> > support and education opportunities for brothers and

> > sisters of people with special health and developmental

> > needs.

> >

> > Book- Special Siblings:

> > Growing Up with Someone with a Disability "

> > Revised Edition

> > By McHugh

> > s Publishing, September 2002, 241 pages,

> > Reviewed by A. Naseef, Ph.D.

About music therapy you are in luck!! Deb who just posted is working

on her masters in music therapy and has a child with apraxia and

sensory issues so perhaps let's talk more about that as I for at

least one am a HUGE fan!!

Not sure about the list of conferences for apraxia as we don't have

that many -but believe apraxia kids does so you can check there as well as

K's site http://www.kidspeech.com or NSS (northern speech services) Also

check PROMPT and other therapy sources you use for parent friendly upcoming

events. Also did you ever join a local support group?

Hope that answers all your questions at least to start!

Oh and one final thing....thank you for not lurking anymore!!! Keep

posting those questions!!

=====

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much, Janice, for pointing out that these relationships are

an ever-evolving thing, and also that there are feelings on all sides.

gets extra attention to do program, and so forth, but I see

that he could probably use some one-on-one mommy time that is just

fun. (He watched most of 's soccer and basketball games this

year, and that's not likely to change.) And I just finished playing

Mancala with well past her normal bedtime, and it was well worth

the small amount of time. And she crushed me, twice! Grr.

in NJ

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I am also new to the group. My daughter, who turned 3 in January, was

diagnosed in October. She has an 18 mo. old brother. She started

working with an SLP through Early Intervension for speech delays. It

was our SLP who suspected apraxia. She was also observed at another

meeting by our Service Coordinator who suspected it may be a whole

body issue. After some further testing we added Sensory Integration

Dysfuntion (SID)to the list.

I'm glad we did the extra tests because they confirmed there is

nothing wrong with the way she processes language and her cognitive

skills were at or above age range. She had difficulty verbalizing her

intentions. The SID makes her sensitive to loud noises and her upper

body/fine motor abilities are not as strong.(There are other

coordination issues as well.)

In November she had a speech break through where she was finally

grasping sound imitation! Up to this point in speech, she would be

working hard to get any sound to come out. The therapist noted that

her mouth was trying so hard to make the motions, but she couldn't

get everything coordinated. She gets speech at school and OT through

a private agency. The OT will help her speech, but our goals for that

are more for SID and fine motor coordination specifically.

We, fortunately, haven't had much of a problem with sibling rivalry

yet. The only appointment he is attending with us now is OT and our

therapist is very understanding about little brother's need to roam

and has some toys for him to play with as well. Once the weather gets

better, I plan to take him on some outings while she is at school.

One of the best sensory toys we got was one of those spring bouncing

horses. She loved her jumper, but is too big for it now. The horse

seems to fill the bill.

Our IEP meeting was great. The Early Intervension team had everything

in place and prepared us for what to expect. My daughter is now in a

developmental preschool program. She is in a classroom with

both " regular " ed kids and kids on IEP's. She is only 3, but there

wasn't an issue with her need to chew on things or that she has

trouble sitting still. They wanted to be aware of things that make

her comfortable and were more than willing to provide whatever

accomodations we felt would help. Don't be afraid to ask for what you

need. We also communicate daily with some and weekly with others that

work with her. I feel we are truly working together for her.

Your question about music therapy is the one that peaked my interest.

I am a certified music therapist who is two classes and a thesis away

from a graduate degree in MT. There is a wealth of information and

research available on music therapy with a variety of speech

problems. Children have a natural ability with music and music

therapy interventions have been used successfully at all age levels.

The is some research on therapy with apraxia, but most of it is has

apraxia as a secondary to autism. I'm not really interested in the

autistic side. Many other issues come into play when dealing with

austism, and, unfortunately, there is much less research that deals

purely with apraxia or SID as their own entity without being attached

to autism. The question refering to an approach with music therapy

would depend on your child and the therapist you find. I haven't seen

any specific approaches (like we have for OT or speech) that apply to

music therapy. Music therapy is very individualized. Like anything,

sometimes it takes time to see results. We may not see a visible sign

of progress on the outside as we work, but there are plenty of things

going on inside.

Deb

[Guest guest]

Hi Deb!

We did music therapy for both my boys -but some was integrated into

regular speech therapy. One of the first songs that Tanner's SLP

used to help Tanner learn to do simple songs was a " silly song " where

we would act like a ghost and say " ooooh " or a choo choo and use our

hand to act like we were pulling a whistle and say " ch " " ch " It

started out " Get your tongue and teeth just right. Make some

silly sounds. Try with all your might while the music comes around "

or something like that. Can tell you that without that song Tanner's

only sound was " mmmm " or " ma " so the music was the first therapy that

helped him. The following page (not saying anyone has to buy from

here) has a wonderful list of music CDs and Deb as one that is

probably the best experienced in this area which would you

recommend? I know most talk about Time To Sing and Marvelous Mouth

Music -but I'd love to have your input on the rest of these

http://www.beyondplay.com/CATALOG/MUS1.HTM

Here's some information on music therapy from Speechville:

http://www.speechville.com/alternative-therapy/music-therapy.html

=====

[Guest guest]

We didn't do a listening program with Landon, but music plays a big

roll in therapy with his private SLP for the past 2.5 yrs. No matter

what they were working on she always had a song to sing to help him

learn the sounds or words she wanted him to work on. Many songs were

related to cars, animals, trains, whatever he showed interest in.

Landon still enjoys music--goes to sleep listening to music, sings in

the bath tub, sings in the car. I bought him the Time to Sing CD and

he hated it. I really thought it would help him to learn and sing

the songs, but they didn't sound the same as the songs he was use to

hearing. Highly recommend music being used as a therapeutic tool.

Right now his favorite seems to be the wheels on the bus!

Tina

>

> Hi Deb!

>

> We did music therapy for both my boys -but some was integrated into

> regular speech therapy. One of the first songs that Tanner's SLP

> used to help Tanner learn to do simple songs was a " silly song "

where

> we would act like a ghost and say " ooooh " or a choo choo and use our

> hand to act like we were pulling a whistle and say " ch " " ch " It

> started out " Get your tongue and teeth just right. Make some

> silly sounds. Try with all your might while the music comes around "

> or something like that. Can tell you that without that song

Tanner's

> only sound was " mmmm " or " ma " so the music was the first therapy

that

> helped him. The following page (not saying anyone has to buy from

> here) has a wonderful list of music CDs and Deb as one that is

> probably the best experienced in this area which would you

> recommend? I know most talk about Time To Sing and Marvelous Mouth

> Music -but I'd love to have your input on the rest of these

> http://www.beyondplay.com/CATALOG/MUS1.HTM

>

> Here's some information on music therapy from Speechville:

> http://www.speechville.com/alternative-therapy/music-therapy.html

>

> =====

>

[Guest guest]

Hi - The 'Sounds Like Fun ' cd by Discovery Toys is a good music cd. I

play it for my son, the kids at my in home daycare, and I got one for our

special ed class at our public school. There was even a 2 page write up on

Apraxia.kids about it.

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[Guest guest]

I had the Sounds Like Fun cassette 7-8 years ago when my 10 yr old was a

baby. I forgot all about it till the teachers in my 6 Severe Apraxic

daughter started playing it every day in her special preschool. Its very

relaxing for the car and the Alphabet songs with letter sounds are

great. I bought the CD for home.

We also started Music Therapy classes last year. We took the winter off

and are going back this Spring. She loves it and the teacher

(Melindasmusic.com) in Warwick NY was able to get her to say words and

sounds that we had not heard before.

I can also comment on Augmentive Communication. She is now in 1st grade

in SD self-contained class. Last year I found out that the teachers and

Aides weren't using the device that THEIR SD bought because it gave her

too many choices for their comfort level. The SLP in the school tried

to convince the teachers that she needed that device to be able to

participate in circle time and snack times. So don't assume that any

device will be used just because it is being sent into school.

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