Apraxia and regressions?

[mom2jjka]

My DD(age 9) has a diagnosis of apraxia, but I have always suspected something else...I just don't know what. She has many similarities to CP, but her MRI did not indicate that was the case.

 

She goes through periods of regression, and during this time her speech and motor skills are affected -

(Her tremor worsens, she gets extremely clumsy and is prone to injury, she reverts to toe walking, very difficult to understand, extremely emotional.)

Not only that, but her other skills seem to come to a stand-still during these times. Schoolwork is more difficult, she has trouble sleeping, and she gets extremely emotional.

 

She has had a full neuro work-up, but the doctors are stumped as to what could be causing the regressions. Do any of your kids with apraxia (or other disorders) go through similar regressions?

 

I want so badly to know what is causing this. :(

[Dmmetler]

I have DX of Cerebral palsy (athetoid type) and of constructive Apraxia, and I've always had periods of where I just plain fall apart for awhile. Speech, gait, handwriting/typing, even thinking is harder. And it feeds on itself-it gets worse and I start to worry about it getting worse, which can be a self-defeating cycle. But, over almost 40 years of life experience, I've realized something. It's not a true regression or a sign that anything is getting worse. Rather, it's that I've learned how to compensate quite well most of the time, at a level where it's automatic to do so. And some days, it just doesn't work. I'm tired. I'm stressed. The weather is changing (this REALLY affects me a lot for some reason). The wrong time of the month. Growth spurts (when I was still growing). Basically, anytime something is too far off in my personal universe, it shows in the areas where I'm weakest first. And for me, usually the greatest gains came after a period of struggle and decompensation-it was like I had to go two steps back in everything to grow in one-but that, once I'd accomplished that growth, the new baseline would be a little higher than before.

 

Based on what you've said above, if your DD's like me, I'm guessing the tail is wagging the dog. That is, the actual problem is that she's hitting a wall on schoolwork in an area, or that she's having trouble sleeping, or that she's under emotional stress (or some combination of the above) and that THIS is causing her to decompensate temporarily in her motor skills. And if she feels like she's getting worse (and picks up on your nervousness), that's going to feed the cycle.

 

 

I also think you're seeing Murphy's corollary for neurological disabilities. It's like having a car with an intermittent failure. It's never going to do it for the mechanic. Bad days never happen at the neurologists.

Edited February 6, 2012 by dmmetler

[mom2jjka]

Oh my goodness - thank you SO much for your post!

 

You have no idea how much you encouraged me today.

(and how your last statement sure hit the nail right on the head! ;))

 

I had not even thought about it in the reverse way like that, but yes, I can completely see how that could happen now.

[Momtoamayalilal2]

:lurk5:

[sbgrace]

Well, anytime I here regression I want to mention mitochondrial issues. http://www.mothering.com/community/t/734501/mitochondrial-disorder-information-and-video Looks like CP but isn't would be a flag too so I wanted to give you some information.

[KFK]

....seeing a BOARD CERTIFIED DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICIAN!

Even if you have to travel out of town for the appointment!