Re: to Sheila

[Guest guest]

Hey Sheila -

I wanted to comment on this as I have also been down this same road. My son

was diagnosed with apraxia when he was 2 1/2 and also started speech therapy

then. When he turned 3 he began having terrible " meltdowns " and behavior

issues. By the time he was 3 1/2 his speech therapist and his pediatric

neurologist suggested putting him on Prozac or Zoloft for his anxiety - it

was through the roof!! His SLP said it was becoming difficult to work with

him on some days because his anxiety was so high. Well, I didn't like the

idea of putting him on this medication so I wanted to be sure to try all

alternatives before I consented. This was around the time all the

information about fish oil's and Pro EFA started coming out. After much

research I bought the Pro EFA (nordic naturals) and tried it for myself for

a couple of weeks. I was amazed at how it lessened my anxiety!! I began

giving it to and within 3 weeks saw an incredible change. Not only

vocally, but behaviorly. It was so apparant his anxiety was under control!!

I didn't tell his SLP when I started giving him this supplement as I knew

she wasn't a believer. She literally came out asking me what miracle

treatment have I been giving him as she was astonished as to his progress

and his change. Needless to say, now she is a firm believer in fish oils

and talks to all her parents about them.

is now 4 1/2 years old and will be starting Kindergarten next year.

This once shy, introverted boy now tries to talk to anyone and everyone!!!

Whatever decision you make will be the right one, just make sure you listen

to your instincts and keep in mind all the non- medicated alternatives out

there. YOU know your daughter better than ANYONE and you know what she

needs. Trust yourself and do the research on these products.

Good luck!!

Carnell

North Carolina

http://www.verbalDyspraxia.com

[ ] advice needed

> We just got back from seeing another Dr. looking for an Apraxic Dx.

> He is referring us to another Dr. who works here and in Chicago so

> hopefully he knows something about apraxia. He is a pediatric

> neurodevelopmental diagnostician (I think that I got all of that

> right.) I told him that we were seeing a Ped. Neurologist now and we

> weren't happy, he said that he doesn't care for that Dr. either. He

> said that if I didn't like the new Dr. he was sending me to just to

> tell him. So far I am happy with this new Dr. I am hoping that his

> referral is as good as he claims. Anyway, on to my question.

> This Dr. suggested that we put my daughter on some anxiety

> medication. She is very, very shy. I told him that at home she is

> her normal, silly, self. When we are not home or when she is at

> school she keeps to herself and she is very shy. She has been seeing

> her ST for about 2 years and she is still somewhat shy around her. I

> like this Dr., I am just wondering if others have their kids on

> medication for anxiety. Any guidance would be much appreciated. He

> had never heard of Efalex, so I filled him in on it. He seemed

> interested.

> Thanks a bunch,

> Sheila

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila: I was wondering how's your son doing with the band??I know

it has been hard for you and for me too, but I was wondering if he

finally got used to it. I need some hope cauze my daughter doesn't

seem to like it, she is been wearing it since 03/25/03. Let me know.

mommy of (8 months)

> > Hi there,

> >

> > I was wondering how many hours a day everyone had your little

ones

> > in helmets? Do you take them off in public? Just curious.

Thank

> > you, Joni (mom to , Portland OR)

[Guest guest]

> > > Hi there,

> > >

> > > I was wondering how many hours a day everyone had your little

> ones

> > > in helmets? Do you take them off in public? Just curious.

> Thank

> > > you, Joni (mom to , Portland OR)

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Yes, son does have tort, but it was so minor that it went

undiagnosed until he was a year old. He had trouble looking left

(hence his flat spot on the back right), but had almost no tilt. It

was the DOCband ortho that finally confirmed he had tort and

stressed the importance of the stretching. (The other doctors kept

blowing me off and just telling me to get him to look left as much

as possible and he'd grow out of it.) I think the DOCband orthos

are usually well trained in diagnosing tort so hopefully your little

guy doesn't have it, but every location is different and ours is

really Cranial Therapies, not Cranial Tech, so perhaps they have

different methods. If you're concerned you might want to have him

evaluated by a physical therapist who specializes in children and

tort. Sometimes they compensate in ways that are hard distinguish

(i.e. my son would hike up his left shoulder rather than tilt).

There is a file named Torticollis Stretching in the files section

(under Torticollis Help) that can show you the stretches.

Plagiocephaly/files/Torticollis%

20Help/

My son's flat spot is on the back right and he had trouble looking

left (he could only turn about 70-80% that direction), so we do the

stretches where we side bend to the right (right ear to right

shoulder) and get him to look left. Starting at such a late age he

definitely resisted. What did the trick for us was stretching him

at night after he falls asleep. I wait about 10 minutes after he

falls asleep (but not too much more or he moves into a different

sleep cycle) and do the stretches. The DOCband ortho originally

told us to do 3 reps of each stretch (holding for 10 to 15 seconds

each) 5 times a day, but with my son fighting them so much and my

working full time it wasn't working. At his 2 months measurement

(with almost no improvement in the ears or his facial scoliosis) I

was desperate and thought I'd try the sleeping tip I got from the

torticolliskids group. I asked our PT if it was OK to hold

the stretch longer and she said it was fine, so I've been doing the

side bend stretch for about 4-5 minutes, then the 'look left' for 4-

5 minutes and repeat. I noticed the biggest change in his body

movements overall (he used to be so stiff in his upper body), but

then, after only 7 weeks, his ears also shifted with almost no head

growth, so I'm suspecting the ortho is correct and it really does

help the ears too. He's treated thousands of babies, so I trust he

knows what he's talking about. Good luck!

Sheila, mom to , 16 months, STARband 3/6-8/6, DOCband 9/6-?

> > >

> > > To those of you who've Starbanded/Starscanned...

> > >

> > > I know the Diag1 and Diag2 describe to oblique assymetry...but

> > what

> > > about the difference in CCs between quadrant 1,2,3, and 4?

Ive

> > > always known my son's worst assymetry was more at the bottom

half

> > of

> > > his skull on the right side, which is reflected in his initial

> > scan

> > > numbers...the diff between Q1 and Q2 is only about 7 ccs

(Q1=244

> > > versus Q2=237), but Q3 and Q4 are double that difference at 14

> ccs

> > > (Q3=181, Q4=195) - he's clearly bigger on the left side which

> > > corresponds to how he looks - flatter on the right, but to me

> > these

> > > numbers reflect what I am seeing more than the oblique numbers

> > do.

> > > Our ortho (Trish at CIRS) said sometimes you have to look at

the

> > > scans in different ways to reflect what you see, so I know

when

> we

> > > go back for our deciding scan on Jan 2, she will work with us

and

> > > not just say 'oh the oblique numbers seem ok' but I hadn't

seen a

> > > lot posted about the quadrants, and they are not highlighted

in

> > > yellow on the printout, so I was wondering if there were any

> > > thoughts.

> > >

> > > Also - what about the MIN and MAX lines....shouldn't they be

> lined

> > > up like a cross - my son's are tipped - which is a no brainer

> that

> > > the MAX line is off to the left in back which is the side with

> > more

> > > volume in back. Yet despite these things being tilted his

> overall

> > > oblique assymetry difference is only 4mm, which is mild! I

feel

> > > like the oblique number may not be the be all and end all?

> Please

> > > any comments welcome.

> > >

> > > Also whats the deal with CVAI? My son's is 2.6 so I don't

know

> if

> > > that is good or bad. Lastly, his anterior symmetry is great -

97

> > > and posterior is 92.

> > >

> > > OF course all these numbers are at level 3 - the level one

higher

> > > showed a higher CI, and I dont remember how all the other

numbers

> > > compared as she only printed level 3 for us. The worst of his

> > > assymetry seems to me to be at level 1-2 on the " slice "

(lower)

> > and

> > > the worst of the brachy to be at level 4-5 (higher). Anyway

> sorry

> > > to those who don't starscan because all of these terms sound

like

> > > nonsense!

> > >

> > > Thanks,

> > >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

> > > >

> > > > To those of you who've Starbanded/Starscanned...

> > > >

> > > > I know the Diag1 and Diag2 describe to oblique

assymetry...but

> > > what

> > > > about the difference in CCs between quadrant 1,2,3, and 4?

> Ive

> > > > always known my son's worst assymetry was more at the bottom

> half

> > > of

> > > > his skull on the right side, which is reflected in his

initial

> > > scan

> > > > numbers...the diff between Q1 and Q2 is only about 7 ccs

> (Q1=244

> > > > versus Q2=237), but Q3 and Q4 are double that difference at

14

> > ccs

> > > > (Q3=181, Q4=195) - he's clearly bigger on the left side which

> > > > corresponds to how he looks - flatter on the right, but to me

> > > these

> > > > numbers reflect what I am seeing more than the oblique

numbers

> > > do.

> > > > Our ortho (Trish at CIRS) said sometimes you have to look at

> the

> > > > scans in different ways to reflect what you see, so I know

> when

> > we

> > > > go back for our deciding scan on Jan 2, she will work with us

> and

> > > > not just say 'oh the oblique numbers seem ok' but I hadn't

> seen a

> > > > lot posted about the quadrants, and they are not highlighted

> in

> > > > yellow on the printout, so I was wondering if there were any

> > > > thoughts.

> > > >

> > > > Also - what about the MIN and MAX lines....shouldn't they be

> > lined

> > > > up like a cross - my son's are tipped - which is a no brainer

> > that

> > > > the MAX line is off to the left in back which is the side

with

> > > more

> > > > volume in back. Yet despite these things being tilted his

> > overall

> > > > oblique assymetry difference is only 4mm, which is mild! I

> feel

> > > > like the oblique number may not be the be all and end all?

> > Please

> > > > any comments welcome.

> > > >

> > > > Also whats the deal with CVAI? My son's is 2.6 so I don't

> know

> > if

> > > > that is good or bad. Lastly, his anterior symmetry is great -

> 97

> > > > and posterior is 92.

> > > >

> > > > OF course all these numbers are at level 3 - the level one

> higher

> > > > showed a higher CI, and I dont remember how all the other

> numbers

> > > > compared as she only printed level 3 for us. The worst of

his

> > > > assymetry seems to me to be at level 1-2 on the " slice "

> (lower)

> > > and

> > > > the worst of the brachy to be at level 4-5 (higher). Anyway

> > sorry

> > > > to those who don't starscan because all of these terms sound

> like

> > > > nonsense!

> > > >

> > > > Thanks,

> > > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Sorry for the slow reply - we were on vacation last week. The

stretches are very confusing for me to understand too. The SMC

muscle runs at an angle, so to fully stretch it both ways you have

to tilt one way and turn the other way. (Maybe you can look for

pictures on the internet??) In my son's case it's the left ear that

needs to move forward (his flat spot is on the right), so I believe

the idea is that stretching the left SMC will help move the ear by

releasing the tension that is pulling on it. Again, I'm NO expert,

so I could be completely off!

Sheila, mom to , 16 months

> > > > >

> > > > > To those of you who've Starbanded/Starscanned...

> > > > >

> > > > > I know the Diag1 and Diag2 describe to oblique

> assymetry...but

> > > > what

> > > > > about the difference in CCs between quadrant 1,2,3, and

4?

> > Ive

> > > > > always known my son's worst assymetry was more at the

bottom

> > half

> > > > of

> > > > > his skull on the right side, which is reflected in his

> initial

> > > > scan

> > > > > numbers...the diff between Q1 and Q2 is only about 7 ccs

> > (Q1=244

> > > > > versus Q2=237), but Q3 and Q4 are double that difference

at

> 14

> > > ccs

> > > > > (Q3=181, Q4=195) - he's clearly bigger on the left side

which

> > > > > corresponds to how he looks - flatter on the right, but to

me

> > > > these

> > > > > numbers reflect what I am seeing more than the oblique

> numbers

> > > > do.

> > > > > Our ortho (Trish at CIRS) said sometimes you have to look

at

> > the

> > > > > scans in different ways to reflect what you see, so I know

> > when

> > > we

> > > > > go back for our deciding scan on Jan 2, she will work with

us

> > and

> > > > > not just say 'oh the oblique numbers seem ok' but I hadn't

> > seen a

> > > > > lot posted about the quadrants, and they are not

highlighted

> > in

> > > > > yellow on the printout, so I was wondering if there were

any

> > > > > thoughts.

> > > > >

> > > > > Also - what about the MIN and MAX lines....shouldn't they

be

> > > lined

> > > > > up like a cross - my son's are tipped - which is a no

brainer

> > > that

> > > > > the MAX line is off to the left in back which is the side

> with

> > > > more

> > > > > volume in back. Yet despite these things being tilted his

> > > overall

> > > > > oblique assymetry difference is only 4mm, which is mild!

I

> > feel

> > > > > like the oblique number may not be the be all and end

all?

> > > Please

> > > > > any comments welcome.

> > > > >

> > > > > Also whats the deal with CVAI? My son's is 2.6 so I don't

> > know

> > > if

> > > > > that is good or bad. Lastly, his anterior symmetry is

great -

>

> > 97

> > > > > and posterior is 92.

> > > > >

> > > > > OF course all these numbers are at level 3 - the level one

> > higher

> > > > > showed a higher CI, and I dont remember how all the other

> > numbers

> > > > > compared as she only printed level 3 for us. The worst of

> his

> > > > > assymetry seems to me to be at level 1-2 on the " slice "

> > (lower)

> > > > and

> > > > > the worst of the brachy to be at level 4-5 (higher).

Anyway

> > > sorry

> > > > > to those who don't starscan because all of these terms

sound

> > like

> > > > > nonsense!

> > > > >

> > > > > Thanks,

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

>