Speech Apraxia

Hi. My nephew has speech apraxia, amongst other things. I believe Head Start may have some resources, but I am not sure. He was either 2 or 3 when diagnosed and his parent (ArG) decided not to do private therapy becuase when he is one year older, the state would cover it. Sorry that is not much help. DHS may have some resources too, since they tend to have more special needs kids

You mught try looking into the Callier Center which is associated with UTD in Richardson. I don't know for sure if they have specialists that work with apraxia kids but I would call if I were you. They specialize in speech disabilities and are really very good at what they do -- if they handle your specific problem. Just an idea.

Hi A.,

I have a friend who is a speech therapist. I asked her about your son and his situation. Here's what she wrote,

"A.,

This website has some great information. It includes a message board and email listserve for parents and SLPs/professionals.

http://www.apraxia-kids.org/

I have not seen a support group in the Dallas area specifically for Apraxia in the last few years. I'll keep my eyes and ears open.

What I tend to recommend depends on the child's abilities. The more severe kiddos (unintelligible to even familiar adults) need to have a way of getting their point across effectively while they are working on their articulation/phonological skills- whether that is signing, a picture exchange communication system, voice output device, etc. doesn't much matter... Being able to communicate with family and peers is key! Just make sure to always pair the word with the sign/picture to encourage verbal output.

Actual speech therapy techniques are not going to vary drastically from typical articulation/phonological processing therapy. What's important is lots and lots of intensive, intentional practice. She will want to get the school SLP or a private SLP to put together a home program for her so that she can spend a few minutes a day practicing with him. You would be surprised what a HUGE difference consistent daily practice can make. Having a good relationship with his SLP will help tremendously. Parents are so important in the learning process- encourage her to not be scared to ask questions- that's what we're here for!

Where it may take a non-apraxic speech kiddo a few sessions to learn how to make a sound in isolation and syllable, an apraxic kiddo may need a month's worth of sessions. It's not impossible, it just takes time, patience and hard work. The child may tire out more quickly too- it's exhausting for them because they have to think so hard. When I worked at the school district, I tended to do 15-30 minute sessions 3-5 days a week if at possible for my kids with apraxia.

I have had tremendous success using handsigns (gestures made with your hands that cue placement of articulators- teeth, lips, tongue, etc.) paired with the normal verbal prompting strategies generally used by SLPs. I also spend time teaching the child about their anatomy- what their structures are- what their mouth is supposed to be doing.

Please feel free to give her my information- I would be more than happy to provide more specific suggestions and/or mail her some handouts I have. Every child is so different that it's hard to give you much without seeing him in person. I'm not even sure I provided the info you were wanting....

If she's needing additional therapy, we have an office in McKinney as well as Richardson.

DeAnn Whiteside, M.S., CCC-SLP
Comprehensive Therapy Services
###-###-#### work
###-###-#### cell
____@____.com
www.comptherapy.com

Good luck! A. Henderson

Hi A.,

I am a speech-language pathologist, and work with children with apraxia. I would be happy to speak with you regarding your child, and discuss any questions you might have regarding apraxia. Please feel free to call me, ###-###-####, or e-mail ____@____.com Regards,
S.

My daughter has verbal apraxia as well. She goes to Children's House at Baylor in Allen for therapy, and we use the Kauffman Sign & Say kit as well as the PROMPT method for speech therapy. I supplement with sign language (ASL). How fluent is your son with signing? My daughter has only recently attempted to speak the sounds she cannot re-create, so she gets an A+ for effort even when she isn't intelligible. She can do about 1/2 the consonants and a variety of v+v and v+c combinations, but is just starting to learn 2-word speech, such as "My Daddy", etc. It only works with phrases and words she knows really well. She also just learned how to say her name this last week, and I'm still beaming with pride, even though the first consonant usually gets swallowed.

I am 100% certain that unless a speech pathologist has training with apraxia, they will be of NO USE to a child diagnosed with this disorder (no offense to the SP's out there!). Apraxia is such a specific disorder that affects each child differently, there is no way a speech therapist could just sweep in and use a general "articulation improvement" plan on a child with apraxia. They also need to know the difference between oral motor apraxia and verbal apraxia, because even though symptoms may overlap, each are dealt with very differently.

But I'm sure you must know all this! I am the only person I know whose child has apraxia, aside from one other mom on the Mamasource board with whom I've tried to meet up but haven't succeeded with yet.

I would LOVE to talk to you, as we are going to be starting the PALS and PPCD programs in McKinney this coming school year, and I'm already quite pessimistic about what they can offer besides general speech therapy and socialization for my daughter.

Who diagnosed your son? And how long was it between your first attempt to get him help and this diagnosis? Also, was this the first diagnosis, or did they misdiagnose him? Our daughter was too young to be formally diagnosed until just a few months ago, but all my research and all her speech therapists agreed that her speech patterns pointed toward apraxia and nothing else. Now that we know what it is, we can address it much more successfully than if it were some general speech disorder.

I totally feel for you!!!! Apraxia is a lifelong condition (like dyslexia) that will require ongoing effort and diligence. I'm set for the long haul. I just wish I knew another mom who was in the same boat as I am... Sounds like you might be that mom.

Email me directly (i.e. send a private note) if you'd like to talk more. At this point, I'm ready to just meet and talk and not drag things out, that's how alone I feel about this one thing! Sure, I have mom friends and playmates for my daughter, but I've been trying for MONTHS to find a mom who is local and not online somewhere far away...

Whatever you decide, I'll be around if you want to talk again, and don't give up... You are NOT the only ones out there, I promise!!!!!

p.s. I am going to start my own support group in the near future (i.e. 6-12 months) if it turns out to be the only way to bring others like us out of the woodwork.