Apraxia

After Matt's ABR confirmed that Matt could hear, Matt's audiologist referred us to a speech and language pathologist (SLP) so we could uncover the reason for Matt's lacked of speech. Another angel enter our life, Donna, Matt's speech therapist from UCLA. Donna evaluated Matt and discovered that Matt had a profound speech disorder: apraxia of speech (AOS).

Here is a definition of apraxia: Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) include inconsistent articulatory errors, groping oral movements to locate the correct articulatory position, and increasing errors with increasing word and phrase length. AOS often co-occurs with Oral Apraxia (during both speech and non-speech movements) and Limb Apraxia.

Apraxia is a neurological disorder characterized by loss of the ability to execute or carry out learned purposeful movements, despite having the desire and the physical ability to perform the movements. It is a disorder of motor planning. Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) presents in children who are unable to execute speech movements because of motor planning and coordination problems.

What it meant in reality for Matt - it took him YEARS to be able to talk. Donna, his UCLA SLP, told us that until he said his first word, no one would know if he would ever speak. He didn't say his first word until he was 25 months. But at least he was able to talk eventually. Not all children with this disorder do.

It was ultimately determined that Matt had global apraxia which caused difficulties with eating, speaking, walking, and more. Basically, it impacts everything he does that involves voluntary muscle use (as opposed to involuntary - that his body does on its own - like breathing and heart beating). A true challenge of a disorder.

I researched the disorder and found some information about supplements that seemed to help other children with this disorder - fish oil - or more specifically - essential fatty acids found in fish oil (and other things). Fish oil also seems to be a heart healthy supplements. Figuring that it might help and wouldn't hurt (my standard for all of the therapies, traditional and non traditional, that we've tried with Matt), we started him on fish oil.

Donna also suggested that music therapy might help him which he loved.

Armed with more information and suggested therapies, exercises, and supplements, we began the uphill battle to help Matt learn how to speak.

We also had another piece of the puzzle that was Matt. Each piece of the puzzle helps us plan a strategy which will enable Matt to achieve his own personal potential.