Re: To Moms of Older Kids w/ Apraxia

[Guest guest]

Hi Leah,

I have a son who is 18.  He didn't talk until he was three, and was in speech

therapy from age 3 until age 7.  He went from being 20 percent intelligible (as

reported by his speech pathologist) to nearly 100 intelligible in that time.  As

a teenager, he doesn't have an accent, although when he's very tired or stressed

sometimes he has trouble starting sentences, especially if the first word starts

with an " r. "  

 

Verbal apraxia has made my son sensitive to others who aren't " normal "

physically or mentally.  I never thought I'd say this, but verbal apraxia has

turned into a blessing.  My son is quick to notice children who are left out or

bullied and has become quite the advocate for them.  One of the most heart

breaking things about my son's apraxia was when adults or children used to make

fun of his attempts to speak.  My son would completely stop talking for a WEEK

or so when this would happen.  I haven't forgotten others' insensitivity and

apparently neither has my son.

 

I remember the time my son finally was able to say " Neil. "   " L's " were a

particularly challenging hurdle and I remember wondering if he'd ever conquer

that challenge.  Then one day it just miraculously appeared.  As a parent you

have to just continue modeling good speech, keep your child just as physically

and emotionally healthy as you can, and never, ever give up hope!    

 

By the way, my son's speech pathologist moved to Red Lodge, MT and I'd recommend

her services if you move there.  --Debbie 

From: Leah <kaiserfamily4@...>

Subject: [ ] To Moms of Older Kids w/ Apraxia

Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 7:10 PM

 

Hi all! I am mom to , age 4 with Apraxia diagnosed at age 3. He is making

incredible progress with speech and supplementation. There are, however, some

sounds that just seem like they will never come. As I was reading the posts

about temper tantrums I noticed many moms saying " I remember when... " My

question for you is this:

What does Apraxia look like in your older children? My 4 year old close to

unintelligible to most strangers... although improving as I mentioned before.

The one great thing is that he talks A LOT. It just all sounds like mush. We do

sign a lot and that helps a ton with frustration. What am I looking at 8-10

years down the road though. I know he will probably be in speech all that time

and that is fine...but how much better does it get? And do we know any " Adults "

with Apraxia? How does it affect them? Do they really sound like they " just have

an accent " or what?

Thanks so much!

Leah

(Moving from Southern CA to Northern Montana next week, AHHHH!)

[Guest guest]

Hi Leah I have a 9 year old nonverbal child who gets very frustrated and

sometimes angry because he cant say what he wants. He does do a little signing

and has a pecs book and we just got a dynavox for him but I really want him to

have special therapy to help him but so far cant find the funds for it I hope

you get more responses and help

thank you,

 

kimmy

From: Leah <kaiserfamily4@...>

Subject: [ ] To Moms of Older Kids w/ Apraxia

Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 8:10 PM

 

Hi all! I am mom to , age 4 with Apraxia diagnosed at age 3. He is making

incredible progress with speech and supplementation. There are, however, some

sounds that just seem like they will never come. As I was reading the posts

about temper tantrums I noticed many moms saying " I remember when... " My

question for you is this:

What does Apraxia look like in your older children? My 4 year old close to

unintelligible to most strangers... although improving as I mentioned before.

The one great thing is that he talks A LOT. It just all sounds like mush. We do

sign a lot and that helps a ton with frustration. What am I looking at 8-10

years down the road though. I know he will probably be in speech all that time

and that is fine...but how much better does it get? And do we know any " Adults "

with Apraxia? How does it affect them? Do they really sound like they " just have

an accent " or what?

Thanks so much!

Leah

(Moving from Southern CA to Northern Montana next week, AHHHH!)

[Guest guest]

Thank you for posting this.?? I found it very encouraging!

[ ] To Moms of Older Kids w/ Apraxia

Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 7:10 PM

?

Hi all! I am mom to , age 4 with Apraxia diagnosed at age 3. He is making

incredible progress with speech and supplementation. There are, however, some

sounds that just seem like they will never come. As I was reading the posts

about temper tantrums I noticed many moms saying " I remember when... " My

question for you is this:

What does Apraxia look like in your older children? My 4 year old close to

unintelligible to most strangers... although improving as I mentioned before.

The one great thing is that he talks A LOT. It just all sounds like mush. We do

sign a lot and that helps a ton with frustration. What am I looking at 8-10

years down the road though. I know he will probably be in speech all that time

and that is fine...but how much better does it get? And do we know any " Adults "

with Apraxia? How does it affect them? Do they really sound like they " just have

an accent " or what?

Thanks so much!

Leah

(Moving from Southern CA to Northern Montana next week, AHHHH!)

[Guest guest]

thank you thank you thank you!

I too have been wondering how it will be when my soon to be 4 year old is older

.... been in speech for 2 years now and he does talk a LOT ... but very few words

come thru to even me ... BUT words now do come thru, so that is progress! Like

this morning he just said DUCK very plainly

We don't get to work with him at home very much and I feel extremely guilty for

that ... I have three kids and a full time job so not a lot of time in the

evenings for any 'formal' instruction. I pray to God that it doesn't hurt him

in the long run.

Thanks for asking the question that has been weighing on me a lot lately.

Kiser

>

> From: Leah <kaiserfamily4@...>

> Subject: [ ] To Moms of Older Kids w/ Apraxia

>

> Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 7:10 PM

>

> ?

>

> Hi all! I am mom to , age 4 with Apraxia diagnosed at age 3. He is

making incredible progress with speech and supplementation. There are, however,

some sounds that just seem like they will never come. As I was reading the posts

about temper tantrums I noticed many moms saying " I remember when... " My

question for you is this:

>

> What does Apraxia look like in your older children? My 4 year old close to

unintelligible to most strangers... although improving as I mentioned before.

The one great thing is that he talks A LOT. It just all sounds like mush. We do

sign a lot and that helps a ton with frustration. What am I looking at 8-10

years down the road though. I know he will probably be in speech all that time

and that is fine...but how much better does it get? And do we know any " Adults "

with Apraxia? How does it affect them? Do they really sound like they " just have

an accent " or what?

>

> Thanks so much!

>

> Leah

> (Moving from Southern CA to Northern Montana next week, AHHHH!)

>

>

[Guest guest]

   I'm a mom with a 3 1/2 year-old with apraxia, so I don't have any personal

experience with older apraxic children.  However, I do know a mom whose son is

22 and was diagnosed as apraxic many years ago.  She was telling me how hard it

was back then because since it was before the internet, she literally knew NO

one else in the same situation.  Her son went through years of speech therapy

and OT, and today he's doing wonderfully in college.  I've never met him

personally, but the mom tells me that people never even guess that he had such

severe speech issues when he was young.

   Also kind of interesting, one of my husband's brothers had major speech

issues 25+ years ago.  He didn't talk until he was 3 and then had to do

intensive speech therapy until he was 9 or so.  Back then, he was never formally

diagnosed with any " official " label.  However, now that our own son has been

diagnosed with apraxia, my mother-in-law is convinced that my brother-in-law

also had apraxia because of all the similarities in their speech patterns,

misarticulations, motor planning issues in regards to speech, etc.  My

brother-in-law is doing phenomenally today, he has his Masters degree in

physical education, is an elementary school PE teacher, refs college football

and lacrosse, and is also studying to become a professional football referee

(and, on a personal note, is hinting that he might " pop the question " to his

longtime girlfriend). :-)

   So there are definitely success stories out there!   

Mom to 3 1/2 year-old twins:  (apraxia and PDD-NOS) and Cecilia

(typically developing)

From: Leah <kaiserfamily4@...>

Subject: [ ] To Moms of Older Kids w/ Apraxia

Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 8:10 PM

Hi all! I am mom to , age 4 with Apraxia diagnosed at age 3. He is making

incredible progress with speech and supplementation. There are, however, some

sounds that just seem like they will never come. As I was reading the posts

about temper tantrums I noticed many moms saying " I remember when... " My

question for you is this:

What does Apraxia look like in your older children? My 4 year old close to

unintelligible to most strangers... although improving as I mentioned before.

The one great thing is that he talks A LOT. It just all sounds like mush. We do

sign a lot and that helps a ton with frustration. What am I looking at 8-10

years down the road though. I know he will probably be in speech all that time

and that is fine...but how much better does it get? And do we know any " Adults "

with Apraxia? How does it affect them? Do they really sound like they " just have

an accent " or what?

Thanks so much!

Leah

(Moving from Southern CA to Northern Montana next week, AHHHH!)

[Guest guest]

Hi,

 

I am 35 I am a mother to an 11 yr old boy who has severe Oral and Verbal

dyspraxia of speech. i am an adult who as a child had a severe speech disorder

very similar to my son Dyspraxia. I believe that as a child I had dyspraxia. I

had the seame exact speech issues as my does now all through young child hood. I

went to speech therapy from a young age according to my mother it started before

Iw as out of diapers until age 8 or 9. Now as an adult one would not really

notice I had such a severe speech problem in childhood. If I am streesed or

tired or sick I do tend to slur my words somewhat. I sometimes  even have to

stop and think in mid conversation what I am going to say due to my mind just

goes blank .

I talk extremely well now. I can spell exceptionally well. I can read very well

also. I am an adult who my mother was told would never be able to read very well

due to my speech issues. Well I proved them all wrong.  Anyway since you asked

about adults with Apraxia of speech I thought I would respond to you since I am

one.

 

Whether or not it is inherited is yet to be decided. I have a son with

Dyspraxia. I also have an older brother who as a child also had severe speech

issues that were also in similar we suspect he also has severe dyspraxia, has

severe muscle issues hand writing etc.

 I also have two nephews one is 3 years and he just started receiving  ST

services from the school this summer (aged out of EI in Jan school took their

time in getting his IEP) showing major signs of Apraxia/Dyspraxia not diagnosed

yet. He has a 2 yr old brother who is in EI for ST since age 8 months showing

signs also .

 

I think it is inhereited in my family.

 

Jeanne

NH

From: mkiser26 <mkiser26@...>

Subject: [ ] Re: To Moms of Older Kids w/ Apraxia

Date: Thursday, August 13, 2009, 8:39 AM

 

thank you thank you thank you!

I too have been wondering how it will be when my soon to be 4 year old is older

.... been in speech for 2 years now and he does talk a LOT ... but very few words

come thru to even me ... BUT words now do come thru, so that is progress! Like

this morning he just said DUCK very plainly

We don't get to work with him at home very much and I feel extremely guilty for

that ... I have three kids and a full time job so not a lot of time in the

evenings for any 'formal' instruction. I pray to God that it doesn't hurt him in

the long run.

Thanks for asking the question that has been weighing on me a lot lately.

Kiser

>

> From: Leah <kaiserfamily4@ ...>

> Subject: [childrensapraxiane t] To Moms of Older Kids w/ Apraxia

> @groups. com

> Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 7:10 PM

>

> ?

>

> Hi all! I am mom to , age 4 with Apraxia diagnosed at age 3. He is

making incredible progress with speech and supplementation. There are, however,

some sounds that just seem like they will never come. As I was reading the posts

about temper tantrums I noticed many moms saying " I remember when... " My

question for you is this:

>

> What does Apraxia look like in your older children? My 4 year old close to

unintelligible to most strangers... although improving as I mentioned before.

The one great thing is that he talks A LOT. It just all sounds like mush. We do

sign a lot and that helps a ton with frustration. What am I looking at 8-10

years down the road though. I know he will probably be in speech all that time

and that is fine...but how much better does it get? And do we know any " Adults "

with Apraxia? How does it affect them? Do they really sound like they " just have

an accent " or what?

>

> Thanks so much!

>

> Leah

> (Moving from Southern CA to Northern Montana next week, AHHHH!)

>

>