Re: Re: Speech Therapy Matrix used by school based SLPs

[Guest guest]

I appreciate the point you have made, but my main concern in my IEP meeting was

getting enough speech therapy. I have been continually fighting for this and is

my son's biggest issue. He does have mild sensory processing problems as well,

but I knew going into the meeting that those had been recognized and that we

would get what we needed for that because I knew the OT that was consulting on

the IEP (she is phenomenal) from my older son's time in early childhood and she

had already mentioned to me what she thought some of his issues were. From EI I

was only allowed one hour per week, from Medicaid I was only allowed one hour

per week even though I have a developmental ped report stating that he should be

receiving at least 3-5 sessions per week and 90 min - 2 hours worth of therapy.

Since I have continually come upon this as a road block I wanted to be prepared

to try to knock it down, and I had remembered from going to the CASANA training

meeting back in Oct (this was 3 months after my son was diagnosed) that they had

mentioned that report as an " official " document from a respected source that I

could use to push for more therapy. The low tone and muscular physical issues

and sensory issues I guess kind of come secondary to me as they are a normal

part of life for my family as a whole....my older son with ADHD has similar

physical motor problems and sensory problems and I even today struggle with some

of that myself ..vestibular and proprioceptive issues. So that part is a given

for us, I guess....just part of being part of our family.

For any interested, I did not even need to present my documents. I still felt

the amount of ST he was given was on the low side of what I had hoped, but we

will be pursuing private therapy as well. The reason given was that they also

have 90 min of inclass speech per week integrated into the classroom, that some

of this would be speech but that he would also get some individual work through

that speech because the teacher/student ratio is low so they will often pull

children to the side to work with them individually even within the classroom.

He was given the full time (4 hrs a day, 4 days a week) preschool program for

children with disabilities. They labeled him (for they must put a label on

their disability to qualify the services) developmentally delayed rather than

just speech/language impaired to account for the other issues he has. 60 min of

speech per week, divided into 4 - 15 min sessions (I don't know how they can get

much done in 15 min esp with my child who is often quite resistant and self

directed....but my private SLP said that what he got was good for this area), 30

min of pull out OT, 15 min of pull out PT (in addition to 30 min of group PT and

OT that the class does). ESY services, and language written in that an AAC

device may be warranted. We are moving in 2-4 weeks to a different area of the

country so I will be taking this IEP there and seeing what we can get that most

closely matches his IEP written there. I'd love to have an Ipod touch or Ipad

for him but financially with layoff and moving and everything that goes along

with that we will have to wait. But the strides he is making are huge compared

to when he had only one hour a week with a bad SLP and no NV. We are keeping up

work with that private therapist since EI has now expired and I think that

starting a new school and then pulling him out again right away might be too

traumatic with everything going on so we will keep with the private therapy

(since that has been most helpful anyway), find a new SLP when we move and start

the early childhood program when we move. I am not sure how integrated the

program there will be but they wrote in language to his IEP saying that he got

that addl 90 min through the program so that if the program in our new district

is not as all inclusive perhaps we can get more ST.

I am sorry if that was problematic for anyone but the part on treatment in that

paper was the best language I had seen anywhere to advocate for more

sessions/minutes per week and since that was what we needed I held on to that.

Functionally in his day to day life, his speech issues affect his quality of

life MUCH larger that any thing else. I thought perhaps there may be other

children in the same boat, so I thought it was worth sharing. The NIH link you

shared does not specifically mention the kind of minutes or number of sessions

per week. I did take the matrix and they were giving minutes according to that I

think because he falls in the severe-moderate category and they gave him the max

minutes for moderate plus the classroom therapy.

________________________________

From: kiddietalk <kiddietalk@...>

Sent: Thu, March 17, 2011 3:51:16 PM

Subject: [ ] Re: Speech Therapy Matrix used by school based

SLPs

Hi ,

I guess your glad you found the link but I have a few concerns about the

document you shared and want to express them here to all parents and

professionals.

They only list symptoms on this document for speech - which is why I wouldn't

share this document with anyone dealing with MY child, certainly not to

advocate!! and wouldn't suggest it for anyone who has a child that has

multifaceted issues as most today do with apraxia. This document does not

support or mention neuro medical exams nor do they even mention the other

aspects of apraxia that are well known today such as global aspects of motor

planning issues in the body, co existing weakness (hypotonia) and or sensory

integration issues. I won't even get into gut issues as I know ASHA probably

wouldn't go there -but I mean to not even note the fact that apraxia is more

than just a speech issue??? Today???

What if you want to advocate for occupational therapy? Oral motor therapy?

(insert cricket sound here)

In addition I'm not sure what support " groups " with an 'S' they spoke to about

the decision to change from developmental apraxia of speech to childhood apraxia

of speech as I only know of one that supports and uses that name CAS...think we

all know why they want CAS used there -we don't use it here because we want

what is best for the population when they are children -and when they are teens

and adults as well.

And somehow they claim they stopped using " developmental " because parents (I

guess in these " groups " ) didn't like that name " developmental " apraxia of speech

-but somehow " childhood " apraxia of speech is fine? Really??? Boy do I wish

SNL could do a " Really " skit on this one!

If it wasn't so sad this quote would be comical...and PS to ASHA I know a few

parent groups that don't like " childhood " apraxia of speech -so for that reason

will you change it again -and just change it to apraxia?!!

" The Committee recommends childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) as the

classification term for this distinct type of childhood (pediatric) speech sound

disorder. Beginning with the first word in this term, two considerations

motivate replacing the widely used developmental with the word childhood. One

consideration is that CAS support groups in the United States, the United

Kingdom, and elsewhere have requested that developmental not be used in a

classification term for this disorder. "

I stand by all that is in The Late Talker as well as the links I supported but

it's up to you or anyone here if this link wants to be included knowing it's not

a completely accurate diagnosis based on realtiy and it's providing a diagnosis

name that they themselves even admit a similar one was not liked by the parents.

This document is outrageous and unfair to those that have children with apraxia

like me who are now teens or older. Boo!! Again read this on why not to call

it childhood apraxia of speech

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=15797 & post=106567 & uid=115029735601#post1\

06567

I do support this link on apraxia

http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/apraxia.html because even though they say

" apraxia of speech " they are specifically addressing that one area and don't

limit it to being just a speech disorder -AND they notice there is more than one

view on apraxia and list various groups for this reason. Zero politics -just

the facts as it should be!

YAY to the National Institutes of Health -you ROCK!!!

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