Re: Question about getting a diagnosis and our visit to the Ped's office

March 3, 2008

I do not think you are thinking wishfully. I think you know your

child. Your list is critical to getting the right diagnosis and help.

Now that my son is doing well we have noticed one time when he was

clingy. It was not his usual MO. It was at his birthday party when my

family, hearing of all the progress, was sort of expecting him to

show his stuff. When they left he was all Mr. Chatty, etc. He does

talk in the presence of others and to others but I think that

scenario, with 30 adults looking at you and palpably anxious for him

to " be better now " was too much pressure. I know I felt it and he is

only 3.

I think you have your head on straight about this and are getting

good help. I wish you well on your journey.

> > >

> > > My " mommy gut feeling " tells me that my son, , has

childhood

> > > verbal apraxia, so I brought it up to my Ped at his 2.5 year

well-

> > > check. I'm not sure I fully understood what she was saying,

but

> I

> > > got the feeling that she didn't agree because my son also has

> > > other " issues " besides his speech delay. He has fixation

issues,

> > > some sensory-motor planning problems, and has been said to have

a

> > > cognitive delay that I'm not sure if I agree with. I'm not

sure

> > what

> > > the Ped's wording was, but I think she was trying to tell me

that

> > > apraxia is a condition that exists on its own. That if he had

> it,

> > he

> > > would comprehend most of what I'm saying but simply be unable

to

> > > respond. It wouldn't be paired with a fixation issue or with

> poor

> > > sensory-motor skills. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

> > >

> > > is almost 2.5 years old and receives speech and OT

services

> > > through our local ISD's Early Intervention program. I was

> > wondering

> > > what M.A. C.C.C. SLP stand for. I just found out that his

speech

> > > thereapist is an MA CCC SLP and I wasn't sure if that title was

> > > interchangable with " speech therapist " . (I'd ask, but I don't

> want

> > > to offend her.) He sees his SLP once/week in a group setting,

> and

> > > she sometimes pulls him out of his OT/special ed preschool

> teacher

> > > group for individual help and observation. I've expressed my

> > > concerns regarding apraxia, however they don't diagnose through

> > this

> > > program. She said she would look for signs but at this point

is

> > more

> > > concerned with having him try to use more words for

communication

> > and

> > > I think focus on his other issues as well. I realize that you

> have

> > to

> > > first build a foundation for speech. However, I feel that he

> does

> > > comprehend at least 80% of what we're saying to him, but either

> > can't

> > > or isn't trying to use words to communicate his needs. He can

> > point

> > > to many objects in books when we ask him to, but doesn't

usually

> > try

> > > to say " juice " when he's thirsty. (But he will do the baby

> sign.)

> > > Most of his words are used for " labeling " things. He names

most

> > > simple shapes and all the letters of the alphabet besides " W " .

> We

> > > can distinguish between them, but the average person would not

be

> > > able to. His SLP says that it seems as if struggles to

> stick

> > > his tongue out and also, he doesn't usually lick food off of

his

> > > lips. I'm in the process of re-reading " The Late Talker " and

> have

> > > identified 17 things abouy that I belive are

characteristics

> > of

> > > apraxia. At this point, should I be pushing for a diagnosis or

> > > should we be focusing mainly on his sensory-motor planning

> > > skills, " foundation for communication " and fine motor skills?

> > >

> > > Thanks for reading. I realize that I do ask a lot

of " elementary

> > > level " questions here, but I don't know where else to look for

> > these

> > > answers.

> > >

> >

>

March 4, 2008

,

Do you have any of those early reading books with the sight words in the back

that you can tear out? They are perforated.... and come out fairly easily.....

check the back of the 'early reader'. Not all of them have these cards but many

do (or they used to) and they are a hidden treasure!

Well, after your story book at night, take the cards from the book you read and

flash them at your son saying the word as you go. Keep the cards and keep

working them. Teach him the sight words.... This is what I did with Mark

before I even discovered that many kids with dyspraxia actually compensate with

their reading.

Unless your boy has visual issues (which could happen though it is not as common

as auditory processing issues), I'll bet that he will fall in love with the

world of reading. My son gobbles up the written word and I really do believe

that our kids compensate in this manner. The world of books and literature is a

fabulous place where you get to be Harry Potter and are absolutely invinsible.

I think of my boy as the average dyspraxic kid but I don't know why I do for I

have only met a few others with this disorder..... yet I have read so many

stories of kids with global dyspraxia who are years beyond in reading. There is

a joy, an escape that comes with the written word..... Reading has been a haven

for my son and since he does it so well, it has saved him academically.

Read to your boy every night and teach him sight words as you go...... Then

when it comes time, the phonics will come too. Reading is my childs 'gift'

perhaps yours too?

Janice

Mother of Mark, 13

[sPAM][ ] Re: Question about getting a diagnosis

and our visit to the Ped's office

Nothing new to you, as you've read my story before. Also, I just

posted about this very topic today, so look for one of my emails

marked " long " . The summary:

--thought it was " just " apraxia

--then discovered low tone issues, which led to discovery of fine and

gross motor issues

--then discovered artificials in the diet were bad for him

--then discovered dairy in the diet is bad for him

--then received confirmation that he has some auditory processing

issues (which I think are, in large part, due to undiscovered dairy

intolerance)

Each step along the way, we thought we had " the " answer. But you

keep peeling the onion, and there are other layers. Since he's not

reading yet (still early), I am hyper-vigilant regarding that

academic skill. They don't really do any decoding in kindergarten --

it's mostly phonemic awareness and sight words right now. He's doing

fine, but having been blindsided in the past, it is going to be hard

to NOT wait for other shoes to drop. And as you can see from one of

my other posts today, we all have to remember to be vigilant about

what we already do know -- don't stop the stuff that works just

because he looks " cured " .

That said, I do like to go to the zoo, too, although those darn

turtles are always going at it when we are there. Not ready to

explain that one!

in NJ

>

> Why are you waiting for the other shoe to drop? If he's talking and

> he's not diagnosed with anything -perhaps he 'was' just a late

> talker! That's a good thing!!! As Bill Maher said the other night

> on his show " I'm still wearing the blue underwear and I still don't

> have cancer " to prove the point that just because you do so much

> stuff and your child is fine doesn't mean it's because of the stuff

> you do. Perhaps...just perhaps you don't have to do anything but

take

> your kid to the zoo.

>

> =====

>

March 4, 2008

That's a great idea! I'm going to look for those ASAP. I need to

find different ways to make the sight word thing fun. The cards only

go so far...

I really hope he ends up being a good reader, because I believe that

is the key to academic success (along with a great memory!) My

daughter is very gifted in this area at eight years old. We watched

the BBC version of " Pride and Prejudice " and now she's reading the

book. When she finds a book series she likes, she powers through

it. (She's really into " Anne of Green Gables " right now, and every

once in awhile reminds me that she is only eight. After the first

book, she asked me where Nova Scotia is, but she pronounced it

eeuh. Ass-uh-lum " asylum " was the other one that cracked me.)

I need to find a way to activate that level of interest in

and his brothers.

I read somewhere that reading has gone from being a leisure activity

slightly more popular with girls compared to boys to an activity that

is almost totally associated with girls among today's teens. I can't

remember the specific percentages, but they were disheartening.

Apparently, very few boys are reading for fun, despite the trend in

boy-friendly literature (e.g. Harry Potter, Spiderwick Chronicles).

We may be fighting against the tide here, but it's worth it!

in NJ

> >

> > Why are you waiting for the other shoe to drop? If he's talking

and

> > he's not diagnosed with anything -perhaps he 'was' just a late

> > talker! That's a good thing!!! As Bill Maher said the other

night

> > on his show " I'm still wearing the blue underwear and I still

don't

> > have cancer " to prove the point that just because you do so much

> > stuff and your child is fine doesn't mean it's because of the

stuff

> > you do. Perhaps...just perhaps you don't have to do anything

but

> take

> > your kid to the zoo.

> >

> > =====

> >

March 4, 2008

,

We STRUGGLE with the teen section at the bookstore and Mark has pretty much

given up on it and is now beginning to read from the adult sci-fi/fantasy

section. There are very few books for teenage boys; it is pretty much a girl

dominated section. When a 'boy' book comes out, my son devours it in a day! It

does illustrate that our boys are not reading as they should be.

BUT dyspraxic kids are different. They find 'normalcy' through books. Books

are a friend and a way of understanding the world. They are also a way of

navigating through difficult waters. We have all sorts of books, fiction,

non-fiction and Mark even reads Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. When we test

Marks visual processing, it comes out at a 'natural nine' without any work.

When I practice and work him, he does a ten pretty easy. Thus, not only is he a

talented reader, he remembers what he reads with pretty good acuracy. This also

translates into good writing skills (once you get your child typing with

proficiency). Handwriting is tough for kids with the fine motor issues to

deliver good ideation but typing can demonstrate their brilliance.

Some of our early Chapter books that Mark really loved and that got him invovled

with reading.... the series that did it was The Magic Treehouse Series. These

are chapter books so your son is a long way from being at this level but when

you get there, try these books. He loved them and those were the books that he

eventually learned to read chapter books with. The series that this generation

can credit for developing readers is most definately, without a doubt,

undesputedly.... The Harry Potter series. As Mark exclaimed excitedly when he

'got into' his first Harry Potter book..... " It's like you're the charactor and

you're living in that world, mom! " I know of many youngsters who became readers

via this series. Mark read these at a fairly young age, grade 3, I would

suppose. He gets Discovery kids magazine monthly and eagerly awaits it's

arrival. Last year he read " To Kill a Mockingbird " and really understood it! He

reads a wide variety of material and I try to make sure that I expose him to

work that includes life skills and a lot of social stuff for he is a visual

learner and the information just gets sucked right up into his brain.

It is a challenge to keep the kid in books. His grandfather buys him a $400

gift card to the bookstore each Christmas and he flies through the darn thing in

no time. But, reading has been my child's method of proving to the world his

intelligence and his brilliance. His L.A. teacher at school feels that he is a

talented writer (and has him preening all over himself) and he regularly gets

high 80's for his writing. Of course, he needed to learn how to type before he

could demonstrate to the world that he was NOT a knucklehead! Anyone who has

received a developmentally delayed diagnosisdiagnosis (is that the politically

correct word?).... .... try getting your child to work the keyboard and just

" see " what might happen. Jump Start Typing is great fun for little kids and

Typing Instructor Deluxe is fabulous for older kids.

Thus..... type, type, type! Work those fingers and get them to FLY over the

keyboard.

For some odd reason, kids with severe dysgraphia can often type with wonderful

proficiency. Kindergarten is not too young to start! If you can identify your

letters, then you can begin learning the keyboard and basic computer skills....

the mouse, simple words, etc. You need to aim for a child who can bring an

AlphaSmart to school and type proficiently on it by a minimum of grade 3 to

avoid real school 'issues'. Mark now types faster than the other kids can write

their notes so he ends up finishing blackboard work ahead of them.

It is a life-saving device and it also proves to the teachers that there is

indeed a wise soul inside who has hands that don't necessarily work that well

and lips that don't speak that well. It develops respect from the others but

mostly, it develops the self-esteem of your child who, in Mark words, believes

that he " sucks at everything " .... not a great way to feel.

Janice

Mother of Mark, 13

[sPAM]Re:[ ] Re: Question about getting a diagnosis