Nuffield Program - is this an appropriate way to treat axpraxia?

[Guest guest]

Hi, I live in Australia, and am in the process of trying to find a good speech

pathologist for my 24mth old boy who has suspected apraxia (not yet formally

diagnosed though).

I'm finding that some of the private pathologists that treat apraxia use a

system called the nuffield program? I haven't had a chance to look too much into

this yet as I'm still dealing with the initial shock of taking in the probable

likliehood that my boy has apraxia.

Is this an appropriate way to treat apraxia. Have any of you had success this

way. I'm aware that the correct therapy is absolutely essential when dealing

with apraxic kids.

Thanks for any advice that you may be able to offer.

[Guest guest]

Ruby I'm just a bit shocked that you're calling it apraxia and not dyspraxia!

Isn't verbal dyspraxia the more common term in Australia? I love dyspraxia as

it's not a cruel name since there's no cure for apraxia as of yet -one overcomes

it just like stuttering. Can you imagine Radcliffe coming out saying he

has (not had because he still has it) " childhood dyspraxia " ?? Instead of just

saying " I have dyspraxia "

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2573230/Harry-Potters-D\

aniel-Radcliffe-has-dyspraxia.html

I myself am not familiar with the Nuffield program but it looks interesting

online. http://www.ndp3.org I found it here

http://www.nuffield-slu.org.uk/index.php?page=NuffieldDyspraxiaProgram There is

much to explore at the site- even sample pages.

http://www.ndp3.org/ndp3-samples.html

I'll leave it up to the SLPs or parents that know this method to explain more

about this program.

There are a few programs used here in the US for apraxia/dyspraxia. Kaufman

technique, Prompt are just two. Are you able to get a book called The Late

Talker there? Also even though if the child is a late talker and has

apraxia/dyspraxia we tend to think of it just as a speech issue -but in most

cases it's multifaceted.

Your son is still very young and fortunate to have you for his mom. The best

prognosis for our group is for children with parents like you who are out there

looking for answers early -so good for you!

There is still a chance that your child is 'just' a late talker and in that case

the therapy you do will only help to stimulate the speech probably even sooner!

You are correct however that appropriate therapy if your child does have a motor

planning impairment of speech is so important. Good news is that your child is

so young -so you have time to set short and long term goals and to make sure

your child is making progress. If your child isn't making progress in a short

time you want to reevaluate therapy, therapist -even diagnosis.

Here's some info from our late talker handout:

" Most parents, and even most pediatricians, are not concerned when

faced with a two-year-old who passes all of his developmental

milestones on time - except speech and language. However, they

should be. It is vitally important to identify and treat speech and

language challenges as early as possible in a child's life, with a

strong emphasis on the early intervention years of birth to three.

At this age the brain is undergoing the most rapid development. No

harm will come from therapeutic services. " Early intervention

services are benign in their delivery but can be extremely

beneficial. Don't wait. Six months for a 2 year old is equivalent to

a quarter of their lifetime developmentally " as Dr. Judy Flax says,

who is a Research Coordinator of the Tallal Lab and a Senior

Research Speech Pathologist for the Infancy Studies Laboratory at

the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience (CMBN) of

Rutgers University, Newark, NJ "

You can read the whole thing here:

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

And here are some new to the diagnosis (just in case) tips from our facebook

group at http://www.apraxia.org

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=115029735601 & topic=7329

=====

[Guest guest]

Hi there, yes thats correct - in Australia it is known as verbal dyspraxia (I

used the term apraxia, as most people in this group refer to the disorder by

that term).

Since posting my original message, I was lucky enough, after going to great

lengths, to track down a speech therapist who has advanced training in PROMPT

(there are very few in Australia who do) - she actually has a little boy of her

own with apraxia, which was her motivation to travel to the US and train in

PROMPT. Her opinion was that this type of therapy was a must when dealing with

apraxia. She also told me that in her opinion the nuffield program wasn't the

way to go when it came to dealing with this disorder. I have decided to go with

her for now - I hope I'm making the right decision!

The availability of help here in Australia is very far behind the US

unfortunately.

Having read with great interest the information offered on the cherub website

about omega, I have ordered a bottle of the Pro-Efa liquid

which I will be starting my little one on - 1/2tsp per day.

I would still be interested to hear from anyone who had used the Nuffield

Program. Thanks.

>

> Ruby I'm just a bit shocked that you're calling it apraxia and not dyspraxia!

Isn't verbal dyspraxia the more common term in Australia? I love dyspraxia as

it's not a cruel name since there's no cure for apraxia as of yet -one overcomes

it just like stuttering. Can you imagine Radcliffe coming out saying he

has (not had because he still has it) " childhood dyspraxia " ?? Instead of just

saying " I have dyspraxia "

>

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2573230/Harry-Potters-D\

aniel-Radcliffe-has-dyspraxia.html

>

> I myself am not familiar with the Nuffield program but it looks interesting

online. http://www.ndp3.org I found it here

http://www.nuffield-slu.org.uk/index.php?page=NuffieldDyspraxiaProgram There is

much to explore at the site- even sample pages.

http://www.ndp3.org/ndp3-samples.html

>

> I'll leave it up to the SLPs or parents that know this method to explain more

about this program.

>

> There are a few programs used here in the US for apraxia/dyspraxia. Kaufman

technique, Prompt are just two. Are you able to get a book called The Late

Talker there? Also even though if the child is a late talker and has

apraxia/dyspraxia we tend to think of it just as a speech issue -but in most

cases it's multifaceted.

>

> Your son is still very young and fortunate to have you for his mom. The best

prognosis for our group is for children with parents like you who are out there

looking for answers early -so good for you!

>

> There is still a chance that your child is 'just' a late talker and in that

case the therapy you do will only help to stimulate the speech probably even

sooner! You are correct however that appropriate therapy if your child does

have a motor planning impairment of speech is so important. Good news is that

your child is so young -so you have time to set short and long term goals and to

make sure your child is making progress. If your child isn't making progress in

a short time you want to reevaluate therapy, therapist -even diagnosis.

>

> Here's some info from our late talker handout:

>

> " Most parents, and even most pediatricians, are not concerned when

> faced with a two-year-old who passes all of his developmental

> milestones on time - except speech and language. However, they

> should be. It is vitally important to identify and treat speech and

> language challenges as early as possible in a child's life, with a

> strong emphasis on the early intervention years of birth to three.

> At this age the brain is undergoing the most rapid development. No

> harm will come from therapeutic services. " Early intervention

> services are benign in their delivery but can be extremely

> beneficial. Don't wait. Six months for a 2 year old is equivalent to

> a quarter of their lifetime developmentally " as Dr. Judy Flax says,

> who is a Research Coordinator of the Tallal Lab and a Senior

> Research Speech Pathologist for the Infancy Studies Laboratory at

> the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience (CMBN) of

> Rutgers University, Newark, NJ "

>

> You can read the whole thing here:

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

>

> And here are some new to the diagnosis (just in case) tips from our facebook

group at http://www.apraxia.org

>

> http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=115029735601 & topic=7329

>

> =====

>