Question

[Guest guest]

Hi Betsy,

There is always professional disagreement about diagnoses that cannot be

proven with a purely medical test. Many professionals feel that ADHD and ADD

are over diagnosed as well. The benefit to getting the apraxia diagnosis is

that you may be able to obtain more services and more appropriate services

for your child, as well as more coverage by insurance later on if necessary.

I have not gotten a formal diagnosis of verbal apraxia for my daughter,

frankly because my insurance does not cover the developmental pediatrician

that I want to use. But I have been fortunate that I have a very supportive

group from EI that has given her the frequency and type of service she needs.

She gets 4 half hour speech sessions per weeek, 2 OT sessions, and is in an

EI language based half day preschool. I had to actually prove to the speech

therapists that she does much better with a visual or touch cue to learn to

say things correctly. I taught her several myself and now they are doing the

same.

I really believe that the key to her success has been that I continue the

speech with her all the time. I used to watch all her sessions and repeat

whatever the therapists were doing throughout the day. It doesn't have to be

formalized, and can just be part of your normal routine. Now I am trying to

target specific words or sounds, and coordinate her therapists to all work on

the same sounds or words at the same time.

The other positive force at work was absolutely the ProEFA. All the

professionals in the world can say whatever they like - I know that it has

helped my daughter tremendously with moodiness and distractability as well as

with speech production. She recently was off it for awhile and definitely

regressed. Another child in her EI class went on it and I can see the

positive changes in him. I do not understand why so many professionals

cannot accept alternative therapies but its really a shame that they can

dissuade parents from trying them.

Sorry to go on so long. Wiley will do fine since he has a mom who is willing

to learn how best to help him. I never thought would get past that

one or two word stage - mama, dada, and me, and now she is talking so much

(even saying some words she shouldn't at embarrassing moments - like

yesterday pointing and saying " Mommy, lady fat. " VERY LOUD Take care,

Barbara