RE: Re: apraxia vs. brain stem damage

[Guest guest]

Do you know where there is any research to support brain stem signaling

problem? my son has severe apraxia and I know from MRI has a somewhat

smnaller brain stem.

On Mon, Jul 12, 2010 at 9:21 PM, kiddietalk wrote:

there's as long as I can remember a theory that all our

children with apraxia have a " brain stem signaling problem " and that is

the root of the problem- doesn't from my experience change the looking

at the symptoms and knowing what are the most appropriate therapies. So

what is the list you have? Let's put them down

1. Weakness in speech- I'm taking it you mean your child has a delay in

speech where you don't mean weakness as in dysarthria or low tone or

hypotonia (well even though that's possible too since there's hypotonia

in the body -can be dysarthria and apraxia combined)

Speech therapy to address the weakness in speech would mean diagnosis of

what exactly is causing the delay, motor planning, sensory, weakness

etc- and appropriate therapy for that or those diagnosis. Brain stem

damage...even if that's the reason....um what's the right speech therapy

for that? What we've all been doing because again all of our kids could

have this to some effect.

2. Airflow...do you mean breath control? I just covered that apraxia

in itself can cover any area of the body or speech since it's

neurologically based- including breath control. Of course that can also

have to do with hypotonia in the truncal area which is crucial for

breath control (which is the basis of speech) So in fact air flow is a

primary thing to work on. But what is the cause and what is the right

therapy for air flow? Well typically it would depend but for sure oral

motor therapies with horns etc. If you each hold a horn and you do 3

short toots on the horn or whistle and your child can't imitate those 3

little short toots back...then your child most likely does not yet have

the ability to do a 3 syllable word.

Brain stem damage? What's the therapy for airflow for that?

the ability to chew & swallow food...that's for sure eating and feeding

or oral motor therapy...I'd say oral motor therapy would probably be on

the list of appropriate therapies for your little one.

Brain stem damage? What's the therapy for feeding and swallowing issues

for that?

overall weakness is muscle tone/control & was given a diagnoses of

cerebral palsy

Typical...that's a soft sign the hypotonia. It's in most cases not

profound (which would be diagnosed at birth as say floppy baby) but

typically a bit more mild. CP wouldn't be overall weakness -it would be

weakness or hypotonia in the body and limbs with hypertonia in the

extremities from what I recall...and I was told not all MDs give the

diagnosis of CP because it can upset parents and if it's not severe-

it's not progressive -so it is what it is. It's typically just

diagnosed as hypotonia or benign congenital hypotonia as we write about

in The Late Talker book. Any of us can go through life perfectly fine

with mild hypotonia...overall weakness. But you'll probably have to sit

sooner, tire a bit faster, lean more etc. For kids with verbal

disabilities you want to know if this " soft sign " is there so you can

secure appropriate occupational therapy to help strengthen the areas it

affects (typically truncal area which is again crucial for breath

control which again ties in to number 2...not that number 2 -number 2

above...but many do have issues with constipation as well which may also

have to do with low tone and issues with pushing, or perhaps that's

motor planning -but I'm off on a tangent) OK so back to OT- probably in

addition to speech therapy that will be found to be appropriate for the

hypotonia -perhaps some PT as well but in most cases not at your child's

age. Here's some symptoms of soft signs

http://www.cherab.org/information/speechlanguage/parentfriendlysoftsigns.html

<http://www.cherab.org/information/speechlanguage/parentfriendlysoftsigns.html>

Brain stem damage? What's the therapy for hypotonia for that?

Two words is delayed in speech

http://www.cherab.org/information/latetalkerhandout.html

<http://www.cherab.org/information/latetalkerhandout.html> but there are

many reasons why. Have you read The Late Talker book? If not you

should because it covers many of the issues.

About brain stem damage I'll give you a wise quote from a pediatric

gastroenterologist Dr. Lawrence said to me when I told him that

was one of the theories as to why kids with these issues get constipated

" I can't do anything about that...but I can tell you how to help with

the constipation "

So that's the point of this email....and would I recommend fish oils and

NV....uh...YES are you kidding?!! Your child sounds like the garden

variety child in our group -multifaceted in presentation and we are

seeing surges in areas across the board

http://pursuitofresearch.org/pursuit.html

<http://pursuitofresearch.org/pursuit.html>

But again the bottom line is that you need to look at the symptom and

seek the diagnosis that can provide your child with appropriate therapy.

Brain stem damage -unless I missed something -there is no known

appropriate therapy for that -but there is for each of the symptoms you

listed.

Hope that helps- and on a last thought come to think of it...you

probably need a second opinion with a doctor that isn't so much of an

alarmist. (just saying even if she or he is right -what good did it do

you or your child? And if the answer is none...they why?)

=====