So a month or so back, our Rady's Speech therapist mentioned Jayden is now old enough to be diagnosed with Apraxia. This didn't really surprise me, I figured it was just a matter of time but this made it more "official".
We have been very discouraged with Jayden's progress in speech and have found his current therapy isn't very effective. We decided to get a second opinion and go outside our insurance to another therapy group I think VERY highly of: Innovative Therapy for Kids in Carlsbad.
During our 1 hour session, we worked with two therapists, one of which is a specialist in augmentative technology. The therapists felt it was clear Jayden has apraxia, as well as sensory integration issues. Watching them work with him was amazing, they were getting him to really show off all his vocalizations (which is rare, usually he shuts down in a new setting). They spun him in a desk chair to give him vestibular stimulation and his articulation was amazing afterwards! They gave him prompts with a sucker looking stick, they massaged his arms and gave joint compressions. All these techniques WORKED! I would love to go to this therapist regularly but our insurance will not cover them :(
So here is the kicker..... we currently have speech once a week for 30 minutes. With a diagnosis of apraxia we should be getting a minimum of 3-5 sessions a week, 45 minutes per session. Why did my Rady's therapist not tell me this when she "diagnosed" him with apraxia???? I specifically asked what this diagnosis meant for his treatment and she shrugged her shoulders and said it didn't change anything! Nothing about the need for increased visits! Nothing about an extended session time!
I hate Rady Children's Hospital therapists!!!
Any chance the other place would take him like, once a month? (so you could learn too) I found with AJ that speech always went better when combined with bouncing, spinning or swinging. We were already using the brushing protocol with joint compressions. No comparison to what you are dealing with, but I do get the connection on a small scale. Can't imagine how frustrating it would be to have limited communication.
ReplyDeleteHey Susan,
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to resonate with you because we're trying to figure out right now whether Dean has apraxia or not. My opinion changes almost daily (today leaning toward thinking he does), but either way, I was told they can't be diagnosed until age 3 and they are saying enough words already??