12/2/08

Trouble sleeping...again. It was so nice to have her on some cough medicine that had codeine in it while she was sick because she actually slept through the night every night while she was on it. Now that she's not sick anymore it's back to sleeping difficulties. On a positive note she had a GREAT day yesterday, despite her lack of sleep. She was quite the little chatterbox and talked up a storm the first part of the day using all kinds of words, too many to list actually. Here are a few things she said: Up here (when she was up on the window sill), turtle, car (and actually pointed to one when she said it!), yes, mickey, mommy and many more. She repeated a lot of what I was saying. She talked so much that others were pointing out what she was saying at playgroup and at occupational therapy. On the crummy side of things, after nap she was not able to say things again and she became very upset. Here is some information I found on the net to explain why she has so much trouble with speech. She has apraxia, which I believe (of course) was caused by her vaccinations.

What is apraxia of speech?
Apraxia of speech, also known as verbal apraxia or dyspraxia, is a speech disorder in which a person has trouble saying what he or she wants to say correctly and consistently. It is not due to weakness or paralysis of the speech muscles (the muscles of the face, tongue, and lips). The severity of apraxia of speech can range from mild to severe.

What are the types and causes of apraxia?
There are two main types of speech apraxia: acquired apraxia of speech and developmental apraxia of speech. Acquired apraxia of speech can affect a person at any age, although it most typically occurs in adults. It is caused by damage to the parts of the brain that are involved in speaking, and involves the loss or impairment of existing speech abilities. The disorder may result from a stroke, head injury, tumor, or other illness affecting the brain. Acquired apraxia of speech may occur together with muscle weakness affecting speech production (dysarthria) or language difficulties caused by damage to the nervous system (aphasia).

Developmental apraxia of speech (DAS) occurs in children and is present from birth. It appears to affect more boys than girls. This speech disorder goes by several other names, including developmental verbal apraxia, developmental verbal dyspraxia, articulatory apraxia, and childhood apraxia of speech. DAS is different from what is known as a developmental delay of speech, in which a child follows the "typical" path of speech development but does so more slowly than normal.

The cause or causes of DAS are not yet known. Some scientists believe that DAS is a disorder related to a child's overall language development. Others believe it is a neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to send the proper signals to move the muscles involved in speech. However, brain imaging and other studies have not found evidence of specific brain lesions or differences in brain structure in children with DAS. Children with DAS often have family members who have a history of communication disorders or learning disabilities. This observation and recent research findings suggest that genetic factors may play a role in the disorder.

What are the symptoms? This is Lily all the way...
People with either form of apraxia of speech may have a number of different speech characteristics, or symptoms. One of the most notable symptoms is difficulty putting sounds and syllables together in the correct order to form words. Longer or more complex words are usually harder to say than shorter or simpler words. People with apraxia of speech also tend to make inconsistent mistakes when speaking. For example, they may say a difficult word correctly but then have trouble repeating it, or they may be able to say a particular sound one day and have trouble with the same sound the next day. People with apraxia of speech often appear to be groping for the right sound or word, and may try saying a word several times before they say it correctly. Another common characteristic of apraxia of speech is the incorrect use of "prosody" -- that is, the varying rhythms, stresses, and inflections of speech that are used to help express meaning.
Children with developmental apraxia of speech generally can understand language much better than they are able to use language to express themselves. Some children with the disorder may also have other problems. These can include other speech problems, such as dysarthria; language problems such as poor vocabulary, incorrect grammar, and difficulty in clearly organizing spoken information; problems with reading, writing, spelling, or math; coordination or "motor-skill" problems; and chewing and swallowing difficulties (Lily has always had problems in this area).
The severity of both acquired and developmental apraxia of speech varies from person to person. Apraxia can be so mild that a person has trouble with very few speech sounds or only has occasional problems pronouncing words with many syllables. In the most severe cases, a person may not be able to communicate effectively with speech, and may need the help of alternative or additional communication methods.

I believe that this will be Lily's biggest hurdle. She is doing so well in other areas. Her social skills are fantastic. She got so excited to see her friends in playgroup yesterday that she nearly knocked one little boy over! She is all about hugs and kisses and really enjoys the company of other kids. Last night she got out her baby dolls and fed them their bottles and pacifiers. She even gave one a big kiss on the lips! She was having so much fun with them that I put them in her crib for her to sleep with and she got so excited like she was having her own little slumber party! Today during speech therapy she actually said "Elephant". Of course most of what she is able to say (especially clearly) is when she doesn't have to consciously try to say it (she wasn't asked to say it). Anthony told me that over the weekend he was hiding under a blanket and she lifted it up and said "Peek". My one-hit-wonder is really progressing!