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| Kids with speech delay |
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My daughter has a severe language disorder and will begin therapy in August. The SLP suspects Apraxia. She turned 3 in April. She is also behind in her Gross Motor. She didn't crawl until 11 months and didn't walk until 14 months. I know this is still witthin normal range but now I'm seeing even more delays. She can't jump or climb stairs independently. My pediatrician has kindof blown me off but they did the same thing with her language. I just have a gut frrling that she needs help in this area. So, my question is: Does anyone know of a link between Apraxia and Gross motor difficulties? I would love to hear from anyone whose child has Apraxia and who may or may not have gross motor issues. This may seem like a strange question but I thought who better to ask then you guys. Sometimes I feel like other Mother's take me more seriously then the Doctors. So, anyway thank you for reading this. Yu guys are great!!!
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| Posted by Natasha on 07/16/2008 11:17 PM
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Hi Natasha,
First of all all 3 of my children have been dx with Apraxia and all 3 have been dx with motor issues. My 2 older children with Developmental Coordination Disorder and my youngest with Limb Dyspraxia. All 3 also have hypotonia (low muscle tone). Not a strange question at all.
Now if I can give you some advice from a mother who has dealt with this for the past 10 years with 3 children. GO WITH YOUR GUT! If you don't feel that your doctor is working with you and sending you for evaluations, therapy, etc CHANGE DOCTORS! I have had the best but I have really done my research. Get your daughter referred to a developmental ped. immediately. Their assessment is VERY thorough and from there they will refer you to everyone you need to see. Sometimes wait lists are very long but once you are in then they usually see you on a 6 month or yearly basis.
I knew there was an issue at 12 months for my first son and although everyone thought I was nuts I made sure I got the referrals for OT, PT and speech. Thank goodness I listened to my mother's intuition because now everyone says thank goodness I got in to see all the specialists. You are the only advocate for your child and you need to voice your concerns and then make sure that you get what is needed for your child. I have done this for all the professionals that my children have seen through the years. If the professional isn't a right fit for your child then find one that is. Get all the therapy that you can get because it does pay off. See if there are any programs within your community that offer programs that your child could attend (ie. here in Texas there is a pilot program run by speech therapists for no cost for children 3-4 years with speech issues a couple of times per week). If there isn't anything in your community then try to start a playgroup or something so that your daughter is around other children her age. Definitely helps with social skills.
Have you considered teaching your daughter to sign. Signing is a wonderful means of communication for children. Start with a couple of signs and progress from there. Typically once your child acheives the verbal word they drop the sign. This is a wonderful tool that will offer your child some independance in communication and decrease the frustration as she gets older.
On a side note has your daughter had a hearing and eye exam?
Hope this helps. If I can help in any way please let me know.
Jennifer |
| posted by jennifer on 07/17/2008 12:09 AM
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Jennifer-
Thank you so much!!! I am going to call my Ped. today and get a referal for a Dev. Ped. Do you mind me asking at what age your children were dx? How are they doing now? Nora has qualified for free help regarding her speech but they said her gross motor was still within normal range. It took me 18 months to get them to admit she had a language issue though because her receptive language is so good. Yet, she can only say Mama and Dada.! Her ear and eye test came back fine. Thank you again soooo much.
natasha |
| posted by Natasha on 07/17/2008 07:17 AM
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Wow Jennifer! You got it covered! Great information!
Yes, Natasha, sometimes mom's ARE the professionals! I hope you are able to get your referrals from the ped. If she doesn't cooperate, I'd definitely look into another one.
My ped was hesitant, and was having me hold-off, wait and see, but I felt different. Jake was reaching a frustration that needed to be quelled! I needed him evaluated! She reluctantly gave me the script for me to obtain services for him. He is doing wonderful.... I wasn't going to let him feel like nobody wanted to listen to him!
Anyway... definitely follow through with your instincts... Jake shows no signs of any other delay. In fact, his SLP is amazed at his dexterity and problem solving skills. He doesn't get mad when the pieces don't go right together, he continues until he gets it! He is 2 1/2 and can jump repeatedly across the room, and has been climbing stairs/small buildings unassisted for months too! You daughter may just need a little O/T (occupational therapy). Best of luck to you both, and I'd love to keep in touch and hear how her updates are going!
A :o) |
| posted by Annette+4 on 07/17/2008 09:56 AM
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Hi Natasha,
My oldest was dx at about 3, my second son at around 2 1/2 and my daughter at 2. We knew right away what the problem was but finding a professional that will dx it is another issue. The speech therapists all knew what the issue was but they can't dx. My second son was perfect in the sense that I would go for therapy with my oldest and he wouldn't make a sound. NO BABBLING from any of my children ever. All of them have at level or above level for cognitive. They understood everything, just couldn't communicate at all. Socially there have never been any concerns. My two older ones are doing awesome. They are both honor students at school. My oldest has auditory processing delays, sensory integration and feeding and my 8 year old has very mild language issues (no articulation issues), sensory integration and feeding issues. No motor issues are apparent. My boys had therapies for about the first 6 years of their lives but it was extreme. Kind of took over our lives but I am happy that I did that. Made a huge difference. Speech we had about 3 to 4 times per week per child, physio every week, aquatherapy every week and occupational every week. Needless to say I was exhausted driving from one end of the city everyday to the other for therapies. My youngest is just starting out and is delayed everywhere except for cognitive and social. She is getting nothing like her brothers did but I am finding it difficult getting more services for her. I know that it is going to impact her. Currently she is in speech once a week, physio (wears foot braces for support) once every 2 weeks, occupational once every 2 weeks and hopefully she will start hippotherapy soon (therapy while riding a horse). Needless to say she is getting a fraction of what my other 2 received.
I will tell you that if you can find someone trained in PROMPT that was the lifesaver for my boys. Unfortuately there is no one within at least 100 miles who does it here which is really frustrating. My oldest was in traditional therapy for the first 1 1/2 years and there was no signs of improvement at all. We then found an awesome therapist by going to a talk for parents she gave one night. I cried the entire talk at the back of the room because I relized that we had just wasted time and she is what we needed (prompt). That night we hired her to be our private speech therapist and she saved us! Prompt shows the children how to make the sound through touch, verbal, auditory and it just clicked. Now it still was a lot of work, took my second son to learn the s sound more than 1 1/2 years working solidly on it every day but other sounds came more easily. I can't express in words how wonderful this technique is and how valuable it was for my children.
Hope this helps. Please feel free to ask any questions. And I am so happy to hear you are going to get a referral for a developmental ped. I can't tell you how valuable the appointment is. By the way if it is a long wait see if you can get on a waiting list for cancelations. Typically there aren't a lot but it can't hurt to try.
Jennifer |
| posted by jennifer on 07/17/2008 01:22 PM
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I will give the dx for each child and that may help.
10 year old was dx with dyspraxia, hypotonia, developmental coordination disorder (DCD), sensory intergration disorder (SID), feeding and growth issues and auditory processing delays
8 year old was dx with dyspraxia, hypotonia, developmental coordination disorder, sensory intergration disorder, feeding and growth issues
2 year old is dx with oral dyspraxia, limb dyspraxia, hypotonia, SID, feeding issues |
| posted by jennifer on 07/17/2008 01:26 PM
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I can't thank you girls enough for your help!!! Tankyoufor telling me about your experiences-your children sound precious! I called my Ped. today to get a referall to a Dev. Ped. For the first time they actually took me seriously and I got the number for a Dev. Ped. I'll keep ypou posted on our progress and would love to keep in touch and find out how your children are doing as well.
Natasha |
| posted by Natasha on 07/17/2008 02:30 PM
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The Early Intervention professionals that dx'd my son w. speech delay did so before my son's pediatrician would and EI actually got him help.
Have you thought to contact them as well? When my son got evaluated for EI they covered ALL aspects.
It may be worth a try?
Please let us know how things work out!
Melissa |
| posted by Melissa on 07/17/2008 02:59 PM
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Horray!!! I am so happy you got a referral. Way to go!!!
Just a side note I am not sure about ECI as it usually only goes to the age of 3 years and I know your daughter turned 3 already. You could call ECI and find out what is available in your area for children with delays over the age of 3. Here once a child turns 3 it turns over to the school system.
Just a thought.
Jennifer |
| posted by jennifer on 07/17/2008 03:57 PM
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Jennifer and Melissa-
We actually did go through EI when Nora was 24 months but she did not qualify. We then went through the school district at 3 and she did qualify but barely. Even though she tested in the 1% as far as articulation her receptive language threw the scores off but luckly the person who tested her went to bat for us and got her in. She only qualified for two one one one speech sessions a week (and I had to FIGHT tooth and nail to get that)! I know it's not enough but they wouln't give into anything ealse because she hasn't been dx and only showed a delay in that one area. I know she won't qualify for PT through them. It's so frustrating as you know I'm sure. But, I am going to continue to fight for her. You guys are a great support system and a testiment to what quality therapy can do. I am feeling positive about the Dev Ped. and I guess we will go from there. I also have a phone conference with my Ped. on Monday. I talked to her today and she said she wanted to go over everything and then she thinks maybe she can get us in the door to the Dev. Ped. pretty quickly.
Natasha |
| posted by Natasha on 07/17/2008 09:27 PM
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Wow, it seems you have already been through so much in all this. It's a shame that you have to jump through such hurdles just to get help.
Please let us know how you make out! |
| posted by Melissa on 07/17/2008 09:40 PM
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I actually found that it is still very difficult to this day to get what is needed. The only thing that has changed when I started this process for my oldest son is that I have learned I have to fight and stay strong. It is easy for the professionals to say let's just wait and see. For me that is not acceptable. The waiting game is at the expense of my child and I am not willing to do that to my child. My child deserves more and I can't allow my child to lose the valuable time at the waiting game. I voiced my concerns and made sure they were followed through with the proper referrals.
Right from day one I felt that I would get the referral (while everyone was telling me to wait and see) and if I didn't need the appointment once it arrived then I would cancel. Needless to say I needed every single one of them but that is what I thought during the initial process with my oldest.
You are your child's BEST advocate!
Jennifer |
| posted by jennifer on 07/17/2008 10:32 PM
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