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Kate — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:48:30 +0000

Thank you for visiting the ApraxiaSpeaks.com blog, you can order either the digital download ebook version or the printed and spiral bound copy here.

Apraxia Explained is also available through our retail partner Smashwords.com in the eReader format. It can be read on a Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, Stanza or other mobile reading devices. Order here

Apraxia Explained eBook + Building Language Through Play bonus (limited time offer)
This essential guide written by a parent of a child with Apraxia shares in the journey of frustration and hopelessness to a full recovery from apraxia. Includes advice on finding the right speech therapist, diet changes, exercises and more. Also includes a bonus eBook, "Building Language through Play" which has advice on having fun with your child while building language skills. This is an ebook, available for instant download to your computer.
Price: $27.00

Spiral Bound Copy of Apraxia Explained + Free Bonus Book "Building Language Through Play"
The same information printed out and spiral bound, shipped via Priority Mail, $7.95 for shipping and handling.
Price: $27.00

Dyslexia in Children

Kate — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:35:25 +0000

Children with apraxia often times have other diagnoses. One of them being dyslexia. As many as 75% of kids with apraxia also have some form of dyslexia. Both disorders originate in the left side of the brain making for a possible connection.

Dyslexia often has a wide range of symptoms, from mild to severe. Some early warning signs are reversing letters, writing letters upside down, mixing up words, such as saying “I got for”, instead of “I forgot”, and difficulty learning to read. Dyslexia can affect handwriting, spelling, reading and overall learning.

Dyslexia is generally not diagnosed until a child is 7 – 8 years old. Your child’s school district often times has experts to provide testing. As it is a learning disorder, not a medical problem your child’s doctor will not diagnose it. They may be able to refer you to learning specialist who can help. Although having an eye exam is important for school aged children, the eyes and ability to see is not affected by dyslexia.

Anxiety and Apraxia

Kate — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:21:49 +0000

The diagnosis of apraxia can cause anxiety for many parents. Fear of the unknown and unanswered questions such as “will my child ever talk?”, “will they be able to lead a normal life?” or “is anything else wrong with my child’s brain?”

It is important to keep your worries at bay so you can support your child in the best possible way. No one may be able to answer those questions for you, as each child is unique in there journey with apraxia.

To help deal with anxiety, if possible seek out a support group in your area. There may not be one just for apraxia, but there are often support groups for parents of differently abled children. Remember to take things one day at a time, your child will not recover overnight. Research and learn as much as possible and seek out ways to help your child at home. If you are feeling overwhelmed do not be afraid to seek professional help for yourself and discuss your concerns with your medical doctor.

In school-aged children with apraxia, they can sometimes show signs of social anxiety. Having difficulty communicating can make things harder at school for some kids and they may become self conscious of their speech.

If possible arrange playdates for your child so they can play one on one with someone to develop better friendships. Talk to your child’s teacher about what difficulties they are having socially and see if they can help. Encourage extra curricular activities to help them socialize.

Home Treatments for Apraxia

Kate — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:01:52 +0000

Many people wonder is it possible to treat apraxia at home? Speech therapy can be expensive and time consuming, is it possible to just treat it at home?

For a full recovery it would not be recommended to end speech therapy with a qualified speech therapist. It is not worth the risk of leaving your child with a lifetime speech impediment.

However, that being said, there are many things you can do for at home treatments for apraxia that will improve speech and shorten recovery time. It is important to communicate with your child’s speech therapist and ask what exercises you can do at home and to find out what letter sounds they are working on. You do not want to confuse or overwhelm your child with doing things differently from the speech therapist.

In addition to speech therapy, there are many other things you can do at home. Some as simple as reading out loud to your child so they can hear proper speech. Many other things you can do such as music therapy, supplements, play therapy, physical exercise and sign language are all outlined in the book “Apraxia Explained”. These things are not complicated and can easily be done at home by parents to improve recover from apraxia.

Will My Child with Apraxia Ever Talk?

Kate — Mon, 17 May 2010 20:24:30 +0000

There are many factors that will determine the answer to that important question – ”Will my child with apraxia ever talk?” and there are no easy answers.

With intense speech therapy, supportive parents and a proper environment apraxia can be overcome. Waiting to see if your child will “just grow out of it” could lead to a lifetime of speech troubles. The earlier intervention begins the better. A qualified speech therapist who is familiar with apraxia of speech can diagnose a child as early as eighteen months and therapy can begin then.

Another factor that can determine the quality of speech is the presence of other health conditions or disabilities. Depending on the severity and other therapies can make a big difference in how quickly it can be overcome.

Approximately 90% of children with apraxia do eventually talk normally, however some do have minor difficulties with articulation. There are very few children that never talk, often due to the presence of other health conditions. There are alternative methods of communication available, such as using sign language or computer aided speech.

There are many things you can do in addition to speech therapy that can greatly enhance speech. They are all outlined in the book “Apraxia Explained” which is available here.

Help for Moms and Dads

Kate — Fri, 14 May 2010 20:04:56 +0000

Let’s face it. Having children can be stressful, but adding in a child with special needs adds a whole new layer to the stress.

When my daughter with apraxia was three, she did not talk. She pointed and screamed at what she wanted, she also cried a lot. Of course all this was very frustrating for me, but I’m sure her frustration of knowing what she wanted but not being able to communicate it with me was much greater.

For the parent with a child with apraxia in addition to lack of communication you also have many other stresses. Financial concerns are a major source of stress for some. Will insurance pay for therapy? Having to take time off from work for therapy appointments and lost income contribute to stress.

The time it takes going to therapy appointments also takes away from family time and other commitments. At one point in time my daughter was going to speech therapy five times a week, occupational therapy twice a week and physical therapy once a week. I felt like I was running a marathon.

Your fears also need to be dealt with – will my child ever talk? will they lead a normal life? Those nagging questions never seem to go away.

It is very important you take time out to take care of yourself. Take the time to exercise, eat right and get enough sleep. As parents if you don’t take care of yourselves, who will? Find what works for you for stress relief – calling a friend, taking a long walk, a bubble bath, getting lost in a good book, playing sports. Make that your time and schedule it in your calendar along with your child’s schedule.

If you are still struggling with your child’s diagnosis, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Can you find someone to help with driving to therapy visits or homework? If necessary ask your doctor for a referral to a counselor if your fears over your child’s speech are causing too much anxiety.

What is Apraxia of Speech?

Kate — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:09:02 +0000

Apraxia of speech is a neurological condition affecting the development of a child’s speech. It’s main symptom is lack of developing speech. It is often diagnosed between 2 – 3 years of age, which is when a child should be experiencing a rapid period of growth in their language. There may be earlier signs and symptoms but it is difficult to diagnose until the child is experiencing a language delay.

Your child should be screened at all their well baby check ups for the development of speech. If it appears delayed, the doctor should refer your child to a speech and language pathologist for a full evaluation.

The main treatment of apraxia is intensive speech therapy. A child will not outgrow apraxia. Left untreated a child may grow up to have a speech impairment, however with proper treatment normal speech a be achieved.

Supplements for Apraxia

Kate — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:58:26 +0000

Enough can’t be said about proper nutrition to build a healthy body with a strong immune system. Feeding children well balanced meals with healthy snacks is essential for life long health. However, children with developmental issues have special nutritional needs. A good quality multi-vitamin is very important.

In addition, growing brains need essential fatty acids (EFAs). They assist our nervous system and brain to complete neurotransmissions throughout our bodies. So basically they send messages from our brain to our muscles and assist those muscles in receiving these messages and acting upon them. EFA’s are available in our diet by eating fish and nuts, however most people do not consume enough of these foods and there is ongoing concern with mercury pollution in fish products. Another factor is consumption of trans fats, if you do intake trans fats you will get little effect from fish oils or any EFA’s for that matter because the trans-fatty acids block the absorption of the EFA’s. Thus we are best to avoid processed foods in our diets to avoid the trans fats and hydrogenated oils.

Research has shown positive results with the use of EFA’s for the treatment of many brain disorders such as ADHD, depression and dyslexia. Anecdotal evidence suggested that giving EFA supplements to children with apraxia resulted in surges of language development. The supplements you use should have a combination of DHA, EPA and GLA. It is available in liquid form and in gel caps. Some children are able to swallow the gel caps on there own or quickly drink the liquid form of it. If not it can be mixed with juice, applesauce, cooked cereal, etc. Just see what works best for your child.

Late Talking Child

Kate — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:57:06 +0000

Many children are considered “late talkers”, as in their speech develops much slower than that of their peers. Doctors and speech therapist can often find no cause for the language delay and some children develop speech on their own without intervention. They will often have a language explosion and just start to talk or the develop speech it’s just at a much slower rate, but eventually talk.

A child with apraxia will also be slow to speak, but will have differences from a late talking or language delayed child. A child with apraxia is often very inconsistent in speech, one day they can say a word, the next day they can’t. They have difficulty in repeating words, little or no babbling, slow speech, and not able to produce the full range of letter sounds. They may have difficulty feeding or nursing as infants.

As the mother of a child with apraxia I know it can be a very daunting diagnosis at first. With proper care and intervention apraxia can be overcome.

Learning to Read

Kate — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:55:25 +0000

Your child can hardly talk – how are they ever going to be able to learn to read?

With time and dedication it is possible for a child with apraxia of speech to learn to read and keep up with their grade level. It is important to work with your child’s teacher and advocate for your child if they are struggling to get them extra help in the classroom.

As busy parents, especially with a special needs child, time for reading often gets lost during the day. It is so important to begin reading to your child at a young age. Leading experts recommend at least 20 minutes a day. We read to our daughter 40 minutes a day. I read to her before nap time and my husband read to her before bed. Reading to our children has been a rewarding experience to both us and them. It has instilled a real love for books in them.

Reading improves vocabulary, memory skills and speech skills. Using books with rhyming text has been useful. Simple activities to encourage speech can be done at that time, such as reading “the cat in the ___” and having your child say “hat”. Sturdy board books with pictures to identify helps your child learn new vocabulary words and to consistently practice naming familiar objects.

75% of apraxic children also have dyslexia. Many of the therapies used to treat apraxia, such as sound therapy and fish oil supplements have a positive affect on dyslexia. During kindergarten we worked with our daughter at home in addition to school to teach her to read. She was still struggling with pronouncing some of the letter sounds and had an initial problem with letter reversals. She is reading above her grade level.

It was such a rewarding experience teaching her. It may sound like an overwhelming task, but with good instructions and the programs they have today it is manageable.