Re: Neurological Testing?

[Guest guest]

No, it can't. Neurologists can do tests like MRIs and EEGs to rule out brain

abnormalities, seizures, etc., but according to our neuro they don't recommend

doing them with small children unless there are other markers for neuro

problems. Small kids usually have to be sedated for these tests and, of course,

sedation should never be taken lightly. As far as I know, diagnosis is still

done by SLPs and/or dev peds and does not present as damage that can be seen by

one of these tests.

Dianne

>

> Hi, is it possible to confirm apraxia through neurological tests? I thought I

remembered reading somewhere that it wasn't? Thanks.

>

[Guest guest]

Tania, it varies. In many cases the MRI--will show normal. In some cases it has

revealed other useful information about the child--but there was much more going

on than just apraxia--and that was or was not suspected beforehand---but the

facts are that most apraxic kids will have a normal MRI. Also the MRI does not

necessarily change the treatment--again--unless something much worse is

suspected and found to be present, unless the child has a major regression etc.

MRIs have their place, Brain scans other than MRIs do have radiation and shoudl

be avoided--never done just for investigative purposes---there was just a recent

study that talked about how often these machines deliver even more radiation

than we ever thought becuase the machines are poorly calibrated and both

patients and doctors are at risk. i ask you how many patients think to ask the

last time the machine was calibrated and to be sure the correct settings are on

at the time their scan is done.

Anyway, MRIs do not deliver radiation---so they are safe---but the anesthesia

can be potentially harmful to kids with certain genetic traits---doctors do not

bother to read the journals---often do not even know about these findings--and

even if they did--they would probably just do what they do and not require any

genetic testign prior the the MRI because they consider those cases rare---well,

if it's your child--the chances of damage can be 100%--so doctors choosing to

ignore certain basic safety measures annoys me--but as I said --soem do nto even

know or agree--none of these things are ever proven 100%--and it's not just

those with the MTHFR?--defect that can be harmed by anesthesia--others can be

harmed as well --in other ways--always consider your choices carefully before

doing general anesthesia--it shoudl only be done if really--REALLY needed---not

just to see if everything is OK---meaning without needing to rule out a major

problem that would

totally impact treatment.

For the average apraxic child--the MRI does nothing--if anything it can make

insurance companies refuse to cover speech therapy becuase the child does not

show any apraxic lesions the way apraxic adults do--so that's one word of

caution.

SLPs are generally the best equipped to diagnose apraxia--they treat it so they

can diagnose it--for insurance purposes you need an MD to second that and they

automatically do--many don't even know apraxia from a door knob---really---even

pediatric neurologists--it's just not something they get much training in--they

do not treat it--SLPs do--so SLPs are the best to diagnose it--chances are the

highest that they've seen it before ---with doctors you never know...they really

may not have and may be too embarrassed to tell. We've had some bad experiences

with this---MDs just don't seem to know speech disorders in general and apraxia

in particualr---our pediatrician had never heard of it and reluctantly agreed to

amke treatment recommendations. He was a nice man--but we quickly found another

pediatrician we could work with and from whom we could get the much needed

letters of medical necessity and the understanding that thsi was indeed a

neurological

disorder that was not going to go away as the child matured... What a struggle

that was--so good doctors will always know---but many just never got trained in

this and just don't know how to diagnose it--particularly since apraxic kids

tend to have neurological soft signs and behavioral issues that easily put them

into the PDD-NOS category. Thats' why I always say --go to an experienced SLP

who treats it--they will know. If a PDD_NOS diagnosis is wrongly given---speech

becomes a secondary thing and behavior and social --aspects take over treatment.

I've heard of many cases where the apraxic child was wrongly diagnosed by

doctors who obviously did not know apraxia --and got ABA, and social skills

groups and all the ASD---spectrum requires---but no 1:1 speech, no motor

planning techniques---and therefore no speech progress was made--which prolonged

the confusion with the diagnosis and it took years for the parents to finally

get a correct diagnosis--and

that was by chance---so SLPs know best----they know speech. Thatr being said

we've met a few SLps who didn't--so go to one who regularly treats apraxic kids

in their practice

All the best,

Elena

________________________________

From: rubykatee <ttaniaa0000@...>

Sent: Sat, March 6, 2010 3:44:50 AM

Subject: [ ] Neurological Testing?

Hi, is it possible to confirm apraxia through neurological tests? I thought I

remembered reading somewhere that it wasn't? Thanks.

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