The Cross Family Testimonial

The Cross Family Testimonial

After numerous doctors, medications, tests, and even surgery we were at a dead end with Cooper’s diagnosis. Cooper was diagnosis with Dysphagia three years ago, when he was almost two years old. Cooper had croup often (his count is about 12 times since his first time when he was one), however he had no underlining issues as to why he has Dysphagia. He is a completely happy, healthy, striving child. When we saw the Aerodigestive Clinic at Seattle Children’s last year, we were looking into a progressive approach as to why he was still on honey thickness at an age where kids typically grow out of it. We had his tonsils and adenoids removed, swallow studies every 6 months, allergy tests, sleep studies, medications, and MRI’s. Most doctors didn’t really know what to say.

We were worried that Cooper would be putting thickener in his beer when he became an adult! We joked about it, however his social interactions with food and drink were starting to become apparent. When other kids were able to have juice boxes, Cooper would have to have his thickened and in a different cup with a straw. No popsicles and ice cream. We made multiple trips to the urgent care in a year for his croup. I was frustrated and wanted answers. I wasn’t going to sit around and have my questions unanswered. I pushed to have Cooper be seen by the Aerodisgestive Clinic. Once we met with them, they urged us to have a feeding evaluation. Judith Simmons evaluated Cooper and recommended our family to see Lorioux at Clear Speech.

Lorioux is a game changer! Cooper started seeing her in the fall of 2015. Our entire family showed up for Cooper’s first appointment as we all wanted to see Cooper healthy. Lorioux jumped right in and fell in love with Cooper and wanted to see improvement. We were very anxious to see results, as we felt we were at the end of the road.

 Within weeks, we noticed huge improvements. I loved to see how Lorioux would adapt to changes and try new things; chewy tubes, straws, whistles, and working his core, to make sure that Cooper would be progressing. EVERY week, we saw improvement. Cooper stopped coughing as often, which is a sign of dysphagia.

I would have to say the biggest change that we experienced was after Cooper completed Vital Stimulation Therapy. Although people were skeptical about the Vital Stim Therapy, we were willing to try it as Lorioux had seen great results in the past. His whole face changed! The way he ate, the way he held his neck tall and high, and he started a trial of 6oz of thin liquids daily after the therapy.

We are excited to say that Cooper is now getting the joy of drinking juice boxes like the other kids! He drinks at least 6oz of thin liquids daily. He has the confidence of a normal kid now. He doesn’t have to explain why he has to have liquids thickened. He doesn’t have to be the only kid in class with a special water cup because he has to have his thickened. We monitor him and make sure that he does “safe swallows,” a common phrase used in our home. Cooper has made it through fall, and most of the winter, without a trip to the urgent care for croup. That it self is HUGE! Lorioux, as I have said before, is a game changer. She opened up a whole new freedom for Cooper… the freedom that when he is 21, he won’t have to order a beer and put thickener in it (wink).

The Deverter Family Testimonial

The Deverter Family Testimonial

 Our baby boy was born with CHARGE syndrome, which is the leading cause of deaf blindness. Colton was clinically diagnosed at 2 days old based on swallowing and breathing difficulties, severe/profound hearing loss, heart defects, ear anomalies, and colobomas in both eyes. So there were lots of concerns… here are a few; Will he communicate? Will he eat on his own without a G-tube? Will he speak? Will he be able to interact in the world?

We were in speech therapy through WA State’s Birth to 3 program and our speech therapist, who had been with us since Colton was 5 weeks old, realized that we needed more than she could provide. So she recommended for Colton, then two years old, to consult with Lorioux. Also important to note that up to age 6 months, Colton had a NG tube which was replaced via surgery with a G-tube. So before seeing Lorioux, Colton was signing and speaking a few words, but it was very challenging for anyone outside of our immediate family to understand him. He was orally eating less than an ounce of purees at each meal, and was getting very fatigued chewing and swallowing. After only 4 months in therapy with Lorioux we were able to wean Colton off the tube and he was eating 100% of his calories orally!!!! Lorioux ROCKED our world! She and Kara are treasured members of our son’s team. We will be forever indebted for the help that we have received at Clear Speech.

 We met Lorioux, who completely supported a blenderized diet (real food) through the tube, and had experience weaning kiddos off the G-tube. It was soooooooooo incredible to add her to our team because of all of her vast experience with other children like my son! We started working on feeding in our first days at her therapy home, it was so comfortable and felt like a real home versus sterile hospital or clinics we had attended.

Colton used Talk Tools; chewy tubes, straws and horns with Lorioux, which my son loved! He just got stronger and stronger as a result of therapy with Lorioux. Again, after only 4 months in therapy with Lorioux we had weaned Colton off the tube and he was eating 100% of his calories orally!!!

Colton is an incredible little boy with a super-infectious spirit. He LOVES music, singing, signing, reading and his puppy, Edie. Life has changed in that Colton is now eating and is saying full sentences, singing at the top of his lungs and is engaged in conversation most of the day. We are soooo grateful for all the help and love that Kara and Lorioux have showered on our son.

2nd annual Alden’s Army 5K

2^nd annual Alden’s Army 5K
 

What:

A fundraising and awareness raising event for The Hemispherectomy Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on helping support families who have undergone hemispherectomies and similar brain surgeries. They provide emotional, educational and financial support for families and focus on continued research for epilepsy and brain surgery. Alden underwent a hemispherectomy 11 years ago. The foundation was a great resource for his family and an ongoing source of support.

When:

Saturday, May 14^th at 9am

Where:

Machias Trailhead, Centennial Trail

1624 Virginia Street, Snohomish WA 98290

How do I sign up?

ü  Participation is free! Please come and help us bring awareness to this great foundation.  

ü  Donations are always welcomed and appreciated, donations can be made online at https://runsignup.com/Race/2506/Donate/Ny5sScsHbD06HJyB, for any amount

ü  Or arrive day of with a donation for Alden’s mom

ü  If interested in participating in this great event please RSVP to Kristin Mack at Kristin.clearspeech@gmail.com or 425-259-7285

"The Dance School" presents a program for students with sensory processing disorder

Coping with sensory processing disorders can cause daily stress for children and their caregivers.  Sensory processing disorder affects those afflicted in areas as basic as eating, being comfortable around other people, and in many cases tolerating the impact of the world around her or him, i.e. the feel of clothing, the sensation of surfaces underfoot, environmental sounds and smells. Readers who have sensory processing disorder, or know someone who does, feel free to add more examples of the effects of this disorder in the comments section after this post.  

Instructor Sarah Seder presents “Dance, the Senses and Emotion” for students aged 9 and over.  Among other things, this program in Everett, Washington works to helps students to “reorganize (their) central nervous sensory system”, become more aware of their five senses and express emotions.    

 

Dance, the Senses and Emotion

for students with sensory processing issues - ages 9+

Instructor: Sarah Seder

Wednesdays, beginning September 9, 2015

4:00 - 4:45 pm

Fall tuition $150 - 11 wks

$30 Annual Registration Fee billed in addition to Fall tuition parents or caregivers are asked to remain on-site during class-time.

Designed for students with sensory processing issues, each class begins with a physical warm up which includes the Brain Dance, basic dance technique, core strength building exercises, activities

to help students recognize their 5 senses, calming breathing practices and yoga stretches. Dancers work together to choreograph dances integrating movement concepts such as speed, size, and level. Students learn to use dance as a way to express a variety of emotions. The goal of this class

is to help students discover the joy of moving in a safe, fun environment using movement patterns that healthy human beings naturally move through in the first year of life. Cycling through these patterns at any age, daily or weekly while sitting or standing, has been found to be beneficial in reorganizing our central nervous system.

(http://creativedance.org/about/braindance/)

Sarah Seder has been teaching at The Dance School since 2007. She received her

degree in both dance and psychology from Bard College. She recently received

continuing education training in Social Emotional Learning and Executive Functioning

Skills through Bright Avenues School.

2821 Rockefeller Ave

Everett WA 98201

425-259-6861 admin@thedanceschool.org

www.thedanceschool.org

Are Devices Stunting Kids' Social Development?

There’s no question that children are spending more time with screens and devices than they were just a decade ago.  Many parents, caregivers, and medical providers for children wonder what this will mean for today’s children.  An April 2015 New York Times article by Bruce Feiler, Hey, Kids, Look at Me When We’re Talking, thoughtfully discusses the suggestion of whether or not ever-increasing screen time for young people is making them lose “...the ability to read nonverbal communications and learn other skills necessary for one-on-one interactions.”, contribute to sleep loss, and result in lowered self-esteem or conversely, does “watching television and playing video game…have cognitive benefits…”?

Pre-teen children who spent five days at an overnight camp without electronic devices or phones read human nonverbal emotional clues “significantly better” after their digitally-deprived camp experience than did a control group of children who had “retained usual media practices”.  It should be noted that the student were old enough to have pre-dated the era of ipads and cell phones and may have been reinstating skills learned in earlier childhood.  

Children and young people who are spending the majority of their day with screens and devices are missing important opportunities to interact face-to-face with others, to share feelings, to read non-verbal cues from others, and to learn empathy.  Often we learn about ourselves through getting to know others, as well as developing self-esteem and interpersonal skills. 

What are some ways we can encourage children to disengage from devices and engage with others?  Setting aside time for personal interaction can be an important skill-builder to give children some of the tools they need for relationships.  Isn't it interesting that there is not a disorder called "technology deficit" but there are disorders called "expressive language deficit" and "pragmatic deficits", and "social communication deficits". We need to spend more time in direct conversation with our friends and family to develop these valuable skills.

School of Acrobatics & New Circus Arts

 

 

Have you ever considered circus training as a form of developmental therapy for children?  Really!  Yes, the Circus!  At Clear Speech Inc., we’re passionate about helping children, and their families, reach their own highest potential in growth and development.  When our young clients need extra support in the areas of motor control, body awareness, vestibular (balance) and sensory information there are many options in the community. There are the traditional occupational or physical therapy activities, but now a wider variety of options exist that also promote skill development in developmentally appropriate and fun ways; hippotherapy, martial arts, gymnastics, and now SANCA.  

We’ve heard great things from families who have trained at the School of Acrobatics & New Circus Arts (SANCA).  SANCA’s website says, “The Every Body's Circus Program offers classes & camps for youth with disabilities such as Autism, cerebral palsy, hemiparesis, spina bifida, visual or hearing impairment. In classes, students gain core strength, balance, and gripping strength.Students try every kind of circus, including trampoline, tightrope, juggling, handstands, trapeze, and aerials.  Every Body’s Circus provides a set curriculum of skill progressions that enable youth to develop physical skills and social interaction skills in small achievable steps that build upon each other. These progressions are adapted to the abilities and needs of the students participating in each class.  SANCA partners with organizations throughout the Seattle area such as Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic and Seattle Children’s Hospital as well as Clear Speech, Incorporated in Everett.

 

This is an exciting way for children with challenges to be front-and-center, participating in a colorful, exciting program that captures their imagination!  

Have fun kids!!

 

photo credits NonFiction Media

Could your child have Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

There are many reasons why a child might be easily distracted, fidgety, restless, and have a hard time focusing.  One of those reasons could be lack of adequate rest.  The Center for Disease Control suggests 11-12 hours of sleep per day for preschoolers and at least 10 hours a day for school-aged children.  

What if a child is having trouble sleeping, and displaying issues like snoring more than half the time while sleeping, “heavy” or loud breathing, occasional bed-wetting, and a pause in breathing (especially those lasting for 10 seconds or more) while sleeping?  According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep-related breathing disorders occur in 2-20% of children and directly impact their health and well-being.  Look for some of these signs during waking hours: forward head posture, dark circles under the eyes, heavy breathing, excessive daytime sleepiness, poor attention span and cognitive skills, and waking un-refreshed in the morning.

Imagine startling awake with your heart pounding with adrenaline!  This is a sad reality for many with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a disorder which reduces or stops airflow to the lungs during deep relaxed sleep stages.  This lack of airflow can reduce oxygen saturation in the bloodstream, interrupt sleep, and could contribute to other issues related to heart health, obesity, diabetes, behavioral disorders and more.  OSA is characterized by the muscles of the throat and tongue relaxing and collapsing the airway.  Studies suggest that as many of 25% of children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity may have symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea and behavior problems can be the result of chronic fragmented sleep.  Enlarged tonsils or need for orthodontic treatment, are a couple causal considerations.

As parents and caregivers, we play a crucial role in helping to provide important clues and information to our children’s health care providers, which enables them to give the best and most informed care to our kids. If you have noticed any symptoms that appear to be a breathing or sleep disorder, please bring it up with your child’s provider, much can be done to ensure that children can get the rest they need to grow and learn.  In particular, orthodontic expansion treatment has been shown in some cases to be a treatment for OSA and can make surgical correction, such as adenotonsillectomy, unnecessary.  Kids definitely need their sleep, so bring up any concerns right away with his or her health care provider!