Unsure of the next step

[Guest guest]

I'm a lurking member and occasionally pop in when new things happen I

don't understand fully. My 4 y.o. was diagnosed 1.5 yrs ago with

Apraxia of speech. She is fully verbal now. We pulled her out of

intense therapy, because she never spoke a word to any of them, and

did therapy at home. She began stuttering her sentences and for the

past six months we've really had to just be patient as she attempts to

get it all out. And sometimes she gets too frustrated and just

doesn't finish her thoughts. My question is that I believe she needs

additional therapy to help her get to the next step, whatever that is.

My problem is that when she does speak it comes in all forms. She

may begin her thought, start stuttering, and then move her lips but we

can't hear the words or just volume wise fade out or whisper. She

gets embarrassed when people listen intently to her. She will say " I

don't know " if she can't finish her phrases. I feel her frustration

and my sadness. Someone wrote earlier that some of these children are

forever stuck in the 2 y.o. age even at age 5, 10, etc. I thought

this just last week. I see her behavior has not matured because her

language was so delayed. Because she is pretty head strong I asked

her about going to play and learn with her 'friend' (therapist) Kathy.

She flat out refuses. She too has had fits the entire session,

fallen asleep on them (she can do that on a dime), and just refused to

cooperate. It is like she literally shuts her speech on and off as a

form of control in her life. However it is so damaging socially and

psychologically. She is missing out on friends because she refuses to

talk to any of them. At age 2 it was ok. Now at 4 they are

developing friends and she isn't confident in her speech to move

forward. I'm considering a behavior therapist. But I know whatever I

do she will not cooperate.

What do I do next? How do I get her excited? Maybe she isn't happy

with her therapist? I hate to throw money down the tube for temper

tantrums. We did that for 3 months and two therapist with no resolve.

She is in weekly play groups but she either plays alone or if I stay

she is on my lap. Her speech has become so blurred and unintelligible

that we have started signing again. Single words come out ok but

sentences are a mess. I'm a homeschooler and ok with suggestions for

computer programs that will help with her social awkwardness and/or

sentences. When she does get a sentence out it is usually all out of

order. I feel like everything she communicates is a big puzzle.

Help! What do I do next.

Thank You,

Tara Ebert

[Guest guest]

Hi Tara,

A type of speech therapy that I've seen worked for children with

apraxia is prompt therapy. It's actually hands on manipulation of the

mouth to help formulate the words when they get stuck. The speech

therapist have to be trained on this.

One of the things we were told by my son's speech therapist is not to

insist on him to speak because he might get frustrated and not want to

attempt to speak at all. Since your daughter has a functional

communication which is sign language then let her do that for now,

until her frustration eases up. From a mom whose son does not have

any functional communication at all, sign language would be a blessing

if he could do it.

My son is 5 and 1/2 and he had been doing pecs. Hee too has apraxia.

Once his speech started emerging, he quit pecs all together because

he got frustrated having to look for pictures. IT's hard for him to

do sign because he still does not have the fine motor skills to do it.

We just started prompt therapy and I'm hoping his speech will

continue to emerge. At this time he has no functional communication

and resorts to crying. As long as your daughter is able to

communicate her needs and wants, it's a very good thing! Don't loose

hope she'll get there.

Marie

>

> I'm a lurking member and occasionally pop in when new things happen I

> don't understand fully. My 4 y.o. was diagnosed 1.5 yrs ago with

> Apraxia of speech. She is fully verbal now. We pulled her out of

> intense therapy, because she never spoke a word to any of them, and

> did therapy at home. She began stuttering her sentences and for the

> past six months we've really had to just be patient as she attempts to

> get it all out. And sometimes she gets too frustrated and just

> doesn't finish her thoughts. My question is that I believe she needs

> additional therapy to help her get to the next step, whatever that is.

> My problem is that when she does speak it comes in all forms. She

> may begin her thought, start stuttering, and then move her lips but we

> can't hear the words or just volume wise fade out or whisper. She

> gets embarrassed when people listen intently to her. She will say " I

> don't know " if she can't finish her phrases. I feel her frustration

> and my sadness. Someone wrote earlier that some of these children are

> forever stuck in the 2 y.o. age even at age 5, 10, etc. I thought

> this just last week. I see her behavior has not matured because her

> language was so delayed. Because she is pretty head strong I asked

> her about going to play and learn with her 'friend' (therapist) Kathy.

> She flat out refuses. She too has had fits the entire session,

> fallen asleep on them (she can do that on a dime), and just refused to

> cooperate. It is like she literally shuts her speech on and off as a

> form of control in her life. However it is so damaging socially and

> psychologically. She is missing out on friends because she refuses to

> talk to any of them. At age 2 it was ok. Now at 4 they are

> developing friends and she isn't confident in her speech to move

> forward. I'm considering a behavior therapist. But I know whatever I

> do she will not cooperate.

>

> What do I do next? How do I get her excited? Maybe she isn't happy

> with her therapist? I hate to throw money down the tube for temper

> tantrums. We did that for 3 months and two therapist with no resolve.

> She is in weekly play groups but she either plays alone or if I stay

> she is on my lap. Her speech has become so blurred and unintelligible

> that we have started signing again. Single words come out ok but

> sentences are a mess. I'm a homeschooler and ok with suggestions for

> computer programs that will help with her social awkwardness and/or

> sentences. When she does get a sentence out it is usually all out of

> order. I feel like everything she communicates is a big puzzle.

> Help! What do I do next.

>

> Thank You,

> Tara Ebert

>