Why not give your apraxic child a way to communicate?
Most of what I'm including in today's post are experiences from parents who have a child with dyspraxia and how they have used sign language to help them communicate.
Often when someone raises the idea of using sign language for a child with apraxia, parents may experience confusion and even fear. After all, “The child can hear just fine! Why would we use sign language for a hearing child? …
If your child has used sign language, it may be helpful to model the sign as you are saying the word. Even if your child has “dropped” signs in lieu of words, you may want to pull them out again as a strategy to help him “motor plan” …
She is learning sign-language to help with communication with others, and we work at home on various techniques. Her Speech Therapist is very pleased with her progress. It is because of this that I now find myself homeschooling her for …
Using Sign Language With Children Who Have Apraxia of Speech http://www.apraxia-kids.org/topics/sign.html Signed Speech or Simultaneous Communication http://www.autism.org/sign.html The Use of Signs by Children with Down Syndrome …
I hope this information has been helpful to some of you. If you are interested in teaching your baby or toddler sign language, first consult with your child's speech therapist and then check out this program that is fantastic for teaching children sign language. It's called Signing Time. Click on the image below to be taken to their site.
The answer to this question is "yes". When a child has a middle-ear infection, fluid accumulates in the middle ear. The middle ear space behind the eardrum is typically filled with air - not fluid. This fluid can actually remain even after the infection has cleared. The presence of this fluid can cause a temporary hearing loss or reduction in hearing. And of course children with repeated infections or fluid build up have a higher likelihood of speech and language delays.
For autism awareness month I wanted to bring awarenss to a less well known syndrome that is on the autism spectrum. This syndrome is called Asperger's Syndrome - also known as high level autism. I found a great article written by a woman (Lynne Soraya) who says she always felt different but never quite knew why until she came across an article called "The Geek Syndrome".
After learning about Asperger's for herself she shares her thoughts on what it means to have Asperger's Syndrome, how it affects a person's interaction with their world, and what are the specific challenges a child or an adult with Asperger's faces. She writes:
"In general, people with Asperger’s generally have trouble with social interaction, communication, as well as regulation of the motor skills and sensory systems.They also can develop obsessive and compulsive tendencies, which manifest themselves in various ways."
Lynne then goes in depth about their social challenges, their verbal communication, their interests and obsessions, and also their sensory and motor challenges. You can read her entire article here: What Does It Mean To Have Asperger Syndrome?
