An Interview with Jake’s Journey – A Mom’s Experience with Apraxia

by Jacky G. Interviews
Tori Starling

Courtesy: Tori S

This week we’re featuring Tori S. of Jake’s Journey to Be a Little Man, a blog that chronicles the life of Tori’s son, Jake. Jake has apraxia, which is a motor speech disorder that interferes with his ability to form individual sounds and words. Apraxia is not caused by poor oral muscle development, but rather by a miscommunication between the brain and the muscles. So while Jake understands what he wants to say, his brain has trouble signaling his muscles to make those sounds. In our interview, Tori discusses the home-based speech therapy techniques that she uses to help Jake become more verbal.

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Parenting Teens with Asperger’s

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Hans Asperger Quote

Image source: beinglumina.blogspot.com

The Challenges of Asperger’s

Asperger’s syndrome is a developmental disorder that is categorized as an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While getting help for your child early on in his life will help him cope with the typical signs and symptoms of Asperger’s, some issues will continue to persist as he grows into young adulthood. Teens tend to identify themselves as part of their group of friends. But a teen with Asperger’s can have trouble relating to other people. Other kids may not empathize with your child’s struggles, and this may cause him to feel isolated, frustrated, and emotionally drained. Your teenager may feel particularly overwhelmed as he begins to consider dating.

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Coping with Traumatic Brain Injuries

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Ambulance Rushing To Hospital

Image source: reachoutjobsearch.com

Children with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) typically experience a wide range of symptoms that can evolve over time. Some of the speech and language issues that your child might have trouble with include finding the right words, producing the correct sounds, and organizing information. Work with your child’s recovery team to develop a treatment plan and learn about coping methods. Your child’s recovery team will likely include his doctor, neuropsychologist, occupational therapist, and speech-language pathologist (SLP).

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Getting Organized: Managing the IEP Paperwork

by Jacky G. Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Stacks of Paperwork

Image source: idreamofclean.net

As the parent of a child with a speech disorder or delay, you handle entirely too much paperwork. Insurance forms, speech therapy bills, evaluations, recommendations, Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting notes…. the list is unending. It’s best to get organized right off the bat – that single folder full of documents will quickly overflow. If you are already working your way through the IEP process, you may need to devote a Saturday afternoon to getting organized.

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Children with Asperger’s

by Jacky G. Speech Disorders
Asperger's T-Shirt

Image source: autismawarenessuk.com

Asperger’s syndrome, a developmental disorder, is often called high-functioning autism. It is classified as an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with ASD, including Asperger’s, tend to have problems with communication and social skills, such as collaborating with other kids in the playground. Communication difficulties can include nonverbal communication. While every child is unique and will present various signs and symptoms of the disorder, those with Asperger’s are generally thought to have a milder form of autism.

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