Re: Re: Need some apraxia insight please...(help)

[Guest guest]

That is not true, our speech therapist who specializes in Apraxia, diagnosed

our son, and he gets services in school and outside of school. Maybe it

depends on the qualifications of your speech therapist. Our Developmental

Pediatrician who is very good, accepted her diagnosis.

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[Guest guest]

If we're talking about childhood apraxia of speech...that diagnosis does

come from the Speech/Language Pathologist. Certainly, I cannot vouch

for all practicing SLP's but you will need one that is knowledge in the

disorder and is comfortable making the diagnosis. I agree that CAS is

difficult to determine especially at an early age. It is my personal

policy to provide a therapeutic environment that fosters communication

via whatever modality and address the needs as they present; I would be

hesitant to diagnose a very young child with CAS. That is my personal

thought...other's would disagree.

-Alan

From:

[mailto: ] On Behalf Of Maureen

Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2008 11:13 AM

Subject: [ ] Re: Need some apraxia insight

please...(help)

Therapists cannot give a diagnosis, not one that will get you any

services in the schools. A true diagnosis has to come from the

Developmental Pediatrican or a Ped. Neuroligist.

[Guest guest]

Hmmm, I guess it depends on the school. My son's therapist suggested he has

verbal apraxia. He has never been formally diagnosed with anything. The school

district ran their evaluations for general skills and determined that he

definately needed speech therapy (provided by the school district). Then they

approached me the next day and asked me if I wanted to have him tested for

Aspergers. So we did and through that test they listed him as having some

social, emotional and adaptive delays (but well below Asperger scale). With

these evaluations, none of them formal diagnoses, he was placed in special ed

preschool (3 yr olds) for 3 days a week. At mid year the teacher recommended to

the school that he come 5 days because he needed the discipline. He is a bit

hyper (HD but not AD at all). He will even get to attend the Summer session

then will go fulltime in the 4yr old spec ed PreK next fall. All with out a

formal diagnosis. Everyone expects him

to be in the " mainstream " class by Kindergarten. I guess getting him speach

therapy at this point may be where I have difficulty without a diagnosis...we'll

see on that one.

btw, The preschool and PreK classes are inclusion classes too, which is also a

very wonderful thing!

See, you should all move to Athens, GA :-)

[ ] Re: Need some apraxia insight please...(help)

Therapists cannot give a diagnosis, not one that will get you any

services in the schools. A true diagnosis has to come from the

Developmental Pediatrican or a Ped. Neuroligist.

[Guest guest]

whoa...

My email was to only show that some school districts do not require a formal

diagnosis because they do their own evaluations.

I was not suggesting that anyone should by-pass a formal diagnosis if it is

required for their child.

You said a number of things that were assumptions about my situation so I feel I

should clarify:

My son's special ed teacher has known him since he was born and we were very

happy that he was going into her class when he was placed. I do not sit idly

and let them deal with him with out my input or my understanding of what they

are doing. Ray was in Baby's Can't Wait since he was 20 months old. We started

speech therapy at that time and shortly thereafter then added occupational

therapy. These were from an outside source. He went there until he was 3 years

old when the public school enrolled him. He gets speech and occupational

therapy once a week in his program and he is doing wonderfully. He and I act

out scenes from Blues Clues and the Tank engine on a regular basis. His

expressive speech gets better on a daily basis. He initiates everything. I am

the one that insists he is not AD because I observe him and see he is paying

attention even if he is running around the room. I take him to a music therapy

class and he runs in circles

around the room and looks like he is not paying attention, but when they are

doing an interactive song he does everything that is in the song. Also, he

went to a mainstream preschool on the 2 days, when he was only going to 3 days

to spec. ed. In that class he had trouble sitting still as well, obviously, he

could be in a corner playing with a truck, but when the teacher ask a question

like, what color is this...or something he always answered. His attention is

always there. And he is getting much better at sitting still thanks to the

current class he is in.

We all know that every kid is different. Appropriate diagnosis of issues is

important but general labels are not good for kids. Unfortunately to get the

help you more often than not have to get that label. I AM very happy to not

have a formal diagnosis at this point. I take my son for who he is and all his

idiosyncrasies. I research his issues and try new treatments, excercises or

activities as needed and as they work. My husband too. My son is a fish oil

responded and takes it daily. He is no longer on the CFGF diet that he was on

for almost a year because took the time to introduce each back into his diet

slowly and found that he was no longer affected by them, but we still limit

them, especially the dairy.

No one should take what the school gives your kids as the only stuff they need

to progress - no one! not even some one whose kids are in AP classes... there is

so much more out there. My son's class is very small and the inclusion kids

hardly ever come. So I make a point of enrolling him in other activities where

he can interact with other kids, like kinder musik and such. When he gets a

little older I plan to get him involved in sports.

Also, Athens has a nationally recognized early intervention program and the

family services are often looked as models by other communities. I have

volunteered with some of the programs here, I have seen them in actions, their

affects and why they have earned their awards. Don't get me wrong, this town is

not with out problems. We have gang activity in the middle and high schools,

which is something to be concerned about and high poverty and unemployment

rates. We have a very large mix for a rural Georgia town. I just mention these

facts to show that I did not make my statements out of gullible goofiness, but

because Athens has a proven track record of good programs in the area of social

services, including early intervention.

The people in the preschool/preK program are totally open to new ideas and

research. They believe in the dietary issues, know that fish oil works, will

discuss options about immunizations. They know about DAN Dr,s (even though we

don't have any in Athens) . So, yes, I do trust their judgment.

Later, when Ray is a bit older, if he still has noticeable issues, then I will

seek a diagnosis, but for now he is making progress in leaps and bounds so I see

no reason to do anything other than what we are doing now.

[Guest guest]

In Iowa a speech therapist cannot diagnose apraxia. You can get the

diagnosis from an MD or Developmental Pdiatrician

>

>

> --I was not trying to debate anything, not with all the well-wishes I

> have gotten! What I was referring to and if your situation or state is

> different- this is a big country. Tara has been out of preschool for

> almost 3 yrs, but even than I needed a script from a Pediatrician or

> Physiatrist or a Neurologist for services for the school year. It never

> said " Apraxia " on it- it just said SP, OT PT as needed. But if even

> one doctor decided she did not need speech anymore- I could safely

> assume the school district would have a problem with that. That would

> mean she did not have a diagnosis anymore? We have lots of good SLP in

> NY and our EI program is one of the best in the country- but by the

> time most children start Speech with EI, its almost time to age out?

> isn't that correct? Most parents don't get an evaluation till after the

> age of 1 or 2. That leaves barely a year to work on speech and it just

> seems difficult for a speech therapist to diagnose apraxia before the

> child ages out of Early Intervention.

> gotta go...baby is crying.

>

[Guest guest]

He gets one on one sessions 3 times week for about 20 minutes

From:

[mailto: ] On Behalf Of mykitkate

Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2008 4:15 PM

Subject: [ ] Re: Need some apraxia insight please...(help)

Hi Azami,

Is it only once a week he get's therapy? Is the speech therapy your

son gets 1 on 1 or in group? How long is the therapy for? I don't

know if your son is apraxic but I was told that most children with

apraxia need at least 3 days of 1 on 1 speech therapy a week.

Kate

>

He gets speech and occupational therapy once a week in his program

[Guest guest]

Actually, the SLP is the most qualified to be the one to officially diagnose

the child with Apraxia of speech (the speech part after the diagnosis

references it right to the SLP by nature)

the NDP of Dev Ped will be one that *should* be able to also pick up on it,

but most do not-- but will take the diagnosis from the SLP and confirm or

deny it, or accept it, etc.

Be sure to find a good SLP to make the diagnosis, and if you are in

disagreement to that diagnosis, for whatever reasons, GET A SECOND OPINION from

another trained SLP.

hope this helps

Becky

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[Guest guest]

This is correct. But the initial diagnosis will come from the SLP, and then

the parent should take it to the NDP or Dev Ped for the confirmation and as

you say, the " soft signs "

Becky

In a message dated 3/27/2008 1:11:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

kiddietalk@... writes:

You are correct in that an SLP can diagnosed the oral or verbal

apraxia or any other co existing conditions of speech but they are

not qualified to diagnose the neurodevelopmental " soft signs " that

typically accompany the apraxia diagnosis such as hypotonia

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