Re: questions about apraxia

[Guest guest]

I highly recommend teaching sign. My son will be 3 at the end of the

month. He has very few words but is very smart. (speech of an18 month old,

comprehension of a 4 year old). I started checking out the Signing Time

videos a couple month ago at the library. He picked it up so fast, I

purchased the set. (quite pricey on their website, but made here in Utah

where i am... I found someone selling some for a fraction of the cost.)

It has really helped ease his frustration and in my opinion since I really

started to push it a few weeks ago and learn it myself (when i decided to

take a break from NV since i had no results in 3 months) has helped provide

some of the visual triggers he needs and I understand him so much more and

he seems to make more attemps...

I'm planning on trying the NV one last time in a month or so, but was not

getting any results and felt helpless, so decided to try the sign and be

more proactive... i highly recommend checking one out at your library and

at least trying it. My son loves it.

Malinda

On Wed, Nov 3, 2010 at 7:51 PM, jeannne buesser

<jbmistletoe@...>wrote:

>

>

> I have to questions. Maybe you have the answers or maybe you can post this.

>

> My son is 2.5 with an undiagnosed speech delay. It might be apraxia or it

> may not be.

>

> My questions. Is signing something worthwhile to teach a child with

> apraxia/speech delay?

>

> What type of schools would a normal cognitive functioning child with only a

> speech delay go to? What do children with apraxia do in let's say middle

> school or high school?

>

> Thanks for the feedback.

>

> Jen

>

>

[Guest guest]

I loved signing time. I started checking them out from the library when my son

was 24 months with no words and horrible frustration. Once he realized that he

could sign his wish, he learned them so fast. I had to watch the videos with

him, as he would pick up signs from the songs as well as the ones shown. It

really helped with frustration and seemed to make him feel better.

He dropped all the signs as he started talking, which didn't happen until I

started him on fish oils. Amazing stuff, three days into it, he just started

mimicking everything we said.

I don't have any answers to your other question as my son is only 3 1/2 now.

Liralen

> > I have to questions. Maybe you have the answers or maybe you can post this.

> >

> > My son is 2.5 with an undiagnosed speech delay. It might be apraxia or it

> > may not be.

> >

> > My questions. Is signing something worthwhile to teach a child with

> > apraxia/speech delay?

> >

> > What type of schools would a normal cognitive functioning child with only a

> > speech delay go to? What do children with apraxia do in let's say middle

> > school or high school?

> >

> > Thanks for the feedback.

> >

> > Jen

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

We started teaching sign to my 9yo daughter at 1yo. The EI SLP knew that her

speech delays would be significant. She picked it up very fast and still uses it

now if I dont understand her. She was always on age level cognitively. Its def

worth it, it reduces frustration and gives them a way to communicate. My dd went

to a special needs prek where they said they'd respond to her sign and

understood her but would not teach more since we all expected her to speak,

which she did at about 5yo. So with a mainstream prek, you should ask if they

understand sign that you may teach him, that would be my only concern.

Maureen

>

> I have to questions. Maybe you have the answers or maybe you can post this.

>

> My son is 2.5 with an undiagnosed speech delay. It might be apraxia or it

> may not be.

>

> My questions. Is signing something worthwhile to teach a child with

> apraxia/speech delay?

>

> What type of schools would a normal cognitive functioning child with only a

> speech delay go to? What do children with apraxia do in let's say middle

> school or high school?

>

> Thanks for the feedback.

>

> Jen

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks .

[Guest guest]

Hi Jen

Is signing worthwhile to teach ANY child that isn't speaking yet...YES- tons of

info on that. And for a child with a speech impairment in my opinion this

shouldn't even be a question. Once a child is able to speak they will choose

speech over sign, and sign reduces frustration and there is research it

stimulates the same area of the brain as spoken language. I believe all of what

I just wrote is on this discussion post from our http://www.apraxia.org page at

Facebook for Cherab

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=115029735601 & topic=7323

As far as school I'm a huge proponent of appropriate special ed preschools that

are multisensory focused on learning where the child is receiving an appropriate

amount of speech and if appropriate occupational and/or physical therapy as well

-and that all are there. Too often parents worry about others judging their

child and want to put them into a " normal " preschool to unfortunately later

learn that if the child has a speech impairment vs. a delay the BEST place and

time to receive early intervention is prior to kindergarten whenever possible.

Tons of research on this too -and logically tons of reasons. If the child ends

up having a simple delay in speech the special ed preschool won't affect

kindergarten- they'll just be mainstreamed and if anything the placement and

therapy may have stimulated that child to speak a bit earlier. But on the other

hand if you take say an apraxic child who isn't diagnosed because he or she

isn't evaluated or evaluated by someone that has knowledge in apraxia...and they

are placed in an inappropriate preschool placement and not receiving appropriate

therapy/therapies then you are faced with a kindergarten student who still needs

probably 3 to 5 days a week of pull out of class therapy- taking away from class

time and at that point yes all will notice -including the child

If apraxia is suspected the child should be evaluated as well by a neuroMD;

either a pediatric neurologist or developmental pediatrician who can confirm or

rule out any " soft signs " such a mild hypotonia, motor planning deficits in the

body and/or sensory issues etc. As you came through Jeanne I highly suggest you

speak with her for references in your area if you too are in NJ as we have tons

and tons and tons of members there so many knowledgeable therapists and doctors

who know the difference between a child with apraxia, a child with autism, and a

a child who has both. Clearly that is not the case in other parts of the

country!

As apraxia in itself if not a cognitive nor receptive impairment, if the child

doesn't have any secondary cognitive or receptive issues which is not typical in

this group anyway (so I'm guessing isn't typical anywhere!) a child that has

apraxia can be mainstreamed from kindergarten on if provided the appropriate

early intervention services and from this group we know they can thrive as good

or even top student =contrary to popular myth/belief by far too many

professionals in education and in society today. This is something we have to

work to raise awareness about. There shouldn't even be a question as to what

type of middle or HS...whatever one they or you want! Ability to speak just as

in a deaf or hearing impaired individual does not affect ability to learn and

think.

My son Tanner is now 14 years old and in addition to starting with just about

daily therapy between EI and insurance/out of pocket private traditional therapy

-and on top of that numerous alternative therapies that were multisensory- and

in addition to that what I now know is a HUGE asset the essential nutrients

(this group's history is with fish oils -the essential fatty acids EFAs/Omega

3/6/PUFAs etc) including the essential fatty and amino acids. I was just on the

phone with one parent explaining how on the way to school today Tanner and I

were having a discussion about these vivid thoughts he is having in imagining

seeing things from long ago -war time, a mom holding a baby and speaking to

officers, pictures on the wall -what the surrounding look like...VIVID

descriptive images and thoughts. I said to Tanner " you need to keep a journal

with you so when you get these daydreams you can jot them down and maybe write a

book! " Tanner's had incredible surges on fish oils over the years which are

written up in a book called The LCP Solution by Dr. J Stordy as The Lellow

Breakthrough (first story under apraxia in the book but you can read it online

here http://www.cherab.org/information/dietaryeffects/LCPbook.html ) and I co

authored The Late Talker book with neurodevelopmental pediatrician Marilyn Agin

MD and international journalist Malcolm Nicholl and we have an entire chapter

about that. Tanner's been on another essential for the past year called NV and

has made tremendous gains across the board from where he was (which was already

in the mainstream) here are some of the areas of surge

http://pursuitofresearch.org/pursuit.html some of the theories as to why the

essential nutrients are so critical for all and why this may be helping our

group so dramatically and just about across the board in ages and diagnosis

http://pursuitofresearch.org/science.html and a special going on right now with

the NV and two other products; http://wholefoodtherapy.com/limited-time-offer/

one being a new one in the NV line that my son Tanner has just started taking

called Accell (and I encourage all to check this out -very impressive as well)

http://nutraeasy.com/wholefoodtherapy/products/accell Tanner's been on the NV

Accell for about a week and it's given him " more energy " for basketball and as I

have been sharing with the group appears to have had another surge and I did not

believe that possible as he's already doing so amazing -it's like he's becoming

a gifted conversationalist! If you order from either site pursuitofresearch or

Wholefoodtherapy.com please say you learned about this from Cherab/apraxia

group etc. Thanks!

There is much hope- don't forget that! Your child is 2 and a half and you are

out there searching for help which is awesome; so my prediction is that the

future is bright for your child -your child is one of the fortunate ones!

=====