Helping other kids understand Childhood Apraxia of Speech

[Anonymous]

What books or other resources FOR KIDS?

My niece is nearly 3 has childhood apraxia of speech and going into the holidays when we’ll be with them a lot we are trying to help our kids (and the other cousins/kids) understand why M doesn’t speak yet. She may have an assistive technology device by then but she may not. She does not have any words, sounds, animal sounds, or approximated sounds. She does not know sign language yet and she doesn’t use a pecks board yet. My kids still talk to her of course and there’s a lot of gesturing but we want them to better understand that she’s not choosing to be silent and that they can still play and have fun together.

[Anonymous]

They’re doing her a disservice if she has no signs and no PECS. Where is she age wise with receptive language?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They’re doing her a disservice if she has no signs and no PECS. Where is she age wise with receptive language?

PECS is wildly inappropriate for this diagnosis. High tech which it sounds like they are pursuing is the answer but it takes time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They’re doing her a disservice if she has no signs and no PECS. Where is she age wise with receptive language?

Wholeheartedly AGREE. my brother and his wife are in denial. We are trying reallllly hard to help them understand she needs early intervention and intensive speech therapy. Right now she only has speech once a week for 30 mins.

She’s about 9 -12 months delayed in receptive language from what my mom remembers but seems to be doing a bit better. She’s responding to yes/no questions and sometimes can guide my mom to what she wants. My mom is trying to teach her signs and sees her 3-4 times a week.

[Anonymous]

OP,

How old are your kids? The idea that we need to understand someone’s disability to show them compassion or include them is problematic, and often books that attempt to explain disability can end up with kids being othered and can discourage rather than encourage interaction.

If your kids are young, I would expect them to look to your modeling, and not need an explanation. If they are older then, a brief expectation of “it takes some kids longer to learn to move their mouths to talk. She understands you. Here are some ideas that work.” (Get the ideas from her parents as this is a diagnosis where strategies can really vary from child to child)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re doing her a disservice if she has no signs and no PECS. Where is she age wise with receptive language?

PECS is wildly inappropriate for this diagnosis. High tech which it sounds like they are pursuing is the answer but it takes time.

I disagree, I’ve used it for many kids. It’s not a long term solution, but short term until other avenues are better. Usually apraxia resolves itself and speech picks up after age 3. Often the fine motor skills aren’t there for sign language. Maybe some modified signs. I can utilize PECS easily prior to age 3 bc you can utilize pics that are taught in other ways. Many ways to get from point A to B, for some kids that’s PECS. Not all of course, but if there’s nothing else this is a great bridge.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like YOU need to understand it better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re doing her a disservice if she has no signs and no PECS. Where is she age wise with receptive language?

Wholeheartedly AGREE. my brother and his wife are in denial. We are trying reallllly hard to help them understand she needs early intervention and intensive speech therapy. Right now she only has speech once a week for 30 mins.

She’s about 9 -12 months delayed in receptive language from what my mom remembers but seems to be doing a bit better. She’s responding to yes/no questions and sometimes can guide my mom to what she wants. My mom is trying to teach her signs and sees her 3-4 times a week.

I am surprised that someone seeing a 2 year old for 30 minutes a week would make a definite diagnosis of CAS, especially in a kid with receptive delays. Is it possible you don’t have the whole story?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re doing her a disservice if she has no signs and no PECS. Where is she age wise with receptive language?

PECS is wildly inappropriate for this diagnosis. High tech which it sounds like they are pursuing is the answer but it takes time.

I disagree, I’ve used it for many kids. It’s not a long term solution, but short term until other avenues are better. Usually apraxia resolves itself and speech picks up after age 3. Often the fine motor skills aren’t there for sign language. Maybe some modified signs. I can utilize PECS easily prior to age 3 bc you can utilize pics that are taught in other ways. Many ways to get from point A to B, for some kids that’s PECS. Not all of course, but if there’s nothing else this is a great bridge.

Are you an SLP?

[Anonymous]

How old are your kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re doing her a disservice if she has no signs and no PECS. Where is she age wise with receptive language?

Wholeheartedly AGREE. my brother and his wife are in denial. We are trying reallllly hard to help them understand she needs early intervention and intensive speech therapy. Right now she only has speech once a week for 30 mins.

She’s about 9 -12 months delayed in receptive language from what my mom remembers but seems to be doing a bit better. She’s responding to yes/no questions and sometimes can guide my mom to what she wants. My mom is trying to teach her signs and sees her 3-4 times a week.

There’s not much you can do except give resources. Maybe a verbal behavior based EIBI program, depending on other considerations outside speech development. Find some resources about how important EI is. Just give the info then step back, unfortunately you can’t do anything if they aren’t willing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re doing her a disservice if she has no signs and no PECS. Where is she age wise with receptive language?

Wholeheartedly AGREE. my brother and his wife are in denial. We are trying reallllly hard to help them understand she needs early intervention and intensive speech therapy. Right now she only has speech once a week for 30 mins.

She’s about 9 -12 months delayed in receptive language from what my mom remembers but seems to be doing a bit better. She’s responding to yes/no questions and sometimes can guide my mom to what she wants. My mom is trying to teach her signs and sees her 3-4 times a week.

There’s not much you can do except give resources. Maybe a verbal behavior based EIBI program, depending on other considerations outside speech development. Find some resources about how important EI is. Just give the info then step back, unfortunately you can’t do anything if they aren’t willing.

Are you the BCBA? This is really terrible advice. You are way outside your scope of practice here and being highly unethical, and suggesting verbal behavior strategies for a kid with motor problems is bizarre. Different diagnoses require different approaches and different professionals, and the correct professional for CAS if they is what this kid has is an SLP.

[Anonymous]

My kids are 4 and 7. My 4 year old has been described as advanced linguistically by her teachers and pediatrician. She speaks in complex sentences and has a strong expressive and receptive language skills. She and her brother are asking point blank questions about why their niece can not/will not communicate (their words, not mine). They’ve tried signs, gestures, simplifying questions, etc. they want to know what’s up. None of that is to say they and we aren’t modeling playing and including their cousin. They will even say to new kids who they meet at the park “m is working her words” when kids ask why she doesn’t speak. We aren’t rude and unkind, of course we include her and play with her, we let her be independent while offering support as we would to any 3 year old. Fairly certain my kids aren’t the issue here, I want to know how to answer their questions.


I do wonder if I have the entire story. And I have no way of finding out if I do or not. I’m not sure it would matter significantly here. I’ve seen the diagnosis paper that my mom was shown. My husband has extensive experience working with nonverbal children with autism. It’s not the first time we, or our kids, have been around children who don’t speak. We have tried to help my mom understand how important it is for my niece to have some kind of expressive language which is what led to her learning and teaching the signs. My mom has taken over managing the weekly speech sessions bc my brother and his wife are in denial. We are trying to get more speech sessions weekly, whether at home or at a center/office. It also sounds like my mom is running into Medicaid limiting how much she can get right now it seems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like YOU need to understand it better.

What resources would you recommend? I don’t just randomly google disabilities. I’ve read several peer reviewed studies. I was a teacher and went back to my textbooks on disabilities and read the relevant sections. I’ve talked to friends who are SLPs. But I won’t just google random stuff to read and take it at face value.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re doing her a disservice if she has no signs and no PECS. Where is she age wise with receptive language?

Wholeheartedly AGREE. my brother and his wife are in denial. We are trying reallllly hard to help them understand she needs early intervention and intensive speech therapy. Right now she only has speech once a week for 30 mins.

She’s about 9 -12 months delayed in receptive language from what my mom remembers but seems to be doing a bit better. She’s responding to yes/no questions and sometimes can guide my mom to what she wants. My mom is trying to teach her signs and sees her 3-4 times a week.

There’s not much you can do except give resources. Maybe a verbal behavior based EIBI program, depending on other considerations outside speech development. Find some resources about how important EI is. Just give the info then step back, unfortunately you can’t do anything if they aren’t willing.

Are you the BCBA? This is really terrible advice. You are way outside your scope of practice here and being highly unethical, and suggesting verbal behavior strategies for a kid with motor problems is bizarre. Different diagnoses require different approaches and different professionals, and the correct professional for CAS if they is what this kid has is an SLP.

I’m an SLP, thank you for your opinion.