michele
My son will be 5 years old May 7, 2000 and after going to a total of 20 Docters and Specialist for our son's problems we have recieved a diagnosis of dyspraxia and dysarthria. It appears you know the main idea of dyspraxia but the dysarthria is low muscle tone and our son has dysarthria of the mouth and like wise holds his mouth open and drools too. Our son's drooling was terrible until just recently. We go to private therapy once a week and he also recieves therapy in school as well. Like your son the Doctors tried to throw the term Autistic to us as well. Fortunatly and unfortunatly we know all to well about Autism, our son's uncle is Autistic and we know much about Autism. To say the least our son is about Autistic as he is a orange. I was so irritated at the Doctors as how they talk to you as if you have know intelligence and your of some sort of moron. We actually had one Doctor suggest trying to give him M&M's or cherrio's to see if that would help some of our problems. At that point I wasn't quite sure we were seeing a Doctor a clerk at a Candy Shop!! Our son also has motor and sensory problems and severe dyspraxia and mild dysarthria. He is doing much better compared to where we were at 2 years old, he has come so far. He also now has a communication device called dynamite to use at school when I'm not there to translate and the teachers cant understand him. He just got the device and used it quite often in the beginning but is tappering off since speech is improving. However, we have a very long way to go yet. One more year left a pre-school then it is off to the real stuff!! Lord Help us!! I have found the therapist, schools and parents in this situation are the most supportive and knowledgable of this situation. Funny thing is both dyspraxia and dysarthria are nuerological based disorder, but when we have gone to the nuerologist, I might have just sat down and talked to our 8 year old son regarding these diagnosis!! I guess you can tell I don't have any faith in Nuerologist!! Also our son test a year above his age cognitivly but when he talks to you he sounds much like a 1-2 year old. We have 3 children all together and it is our middle son with the problems. Do you have any children aside from your son? I would like to email with you please respond to me at ljedding@email.msn.com Good Luck Zachary's Mommy Michele