Perfection

I had this game when I was little and I grabbed it during the holidays for the kids. Then I forgot about it in the closet for four months. I pulled it out a few days ago to pass some time on a rainy morning. The children loved it. The funny part is how they play the game. They set the timer but stop the timer from running while they work together to fill in all the pieces. (Sometimes they work together nicely, sometimes lots of mediation from Mama is necessary to keep the peace.) Then they push the start button and run around excitedly shrieking until the timer finally goes off and the pieces pop out. Then they rush back over to the game to start all over again.

NutriiVeda for Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Information and Resources

What is NutriiVeda?

NutriiVeda is a powdered beverage being marketed primarily as a meal replacement shake to aid weight loss. You mix the powder into water, milk, or a smoothie. Nutriiveda has a proprietary blend of 7 Ayurvedic botanicals, 22 vitamins and minerals, high quality protein, soluble fiber, and essential amino acids. Each serving contains 153 calories, 3 grams of fiber, 20 grams of protein, 100% of many vitamins and minerals, and only 5 grams of sugar. It is available in chocolate and vanilla.

What does NutriiVeda have to do with Childhood Apraxia of Speech?

In December of 2009, parents of children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech began to try NutriiVeda with their children. Anecdotal reports began to surface of significant improvements in quantity and quality of speech production. The Cherab Foundation, a non-profit foundation trying to help families cope with their children’s communication impairments, began looking into NutriiVeda. They set up a sister site, Pursuit of Research to investigate the effect of taking NutriiVeda on children with communication impairments.

Here are a few web pages that discuss NutriiVeda and Childhood Apraxia.

• NutriiVeda Pursuit History: This article discusses the history of using NutriiVeda with children with apraxia and gives a detailed testimonial.
• Theories Based in Science to Support Whole Food Therapy for Autism, Apraxia, Traumatic Brain Injury, Seizure Disorders: This article discusses theories about why the ingredients in NutriiVeda may help children with apraxia and other special needs.
• Anecdotal SLP Children NutriiVeda Testimonials: This is essentially a long list of testimonials from parents of children with special needs who have seen improvement using NutriiVeda.

NutriiVeda for Childhood Apraxia: Review of Initial Product Purchase and First Impressions

I purchased a one month supply (at 2 scoops/day) of NutriiVeda from the Pursuit of Research website. I found it to be cheaper there than on other sites where it was being sold as a weight-loss product. When I read my confirmation email I was surprised to learn that when I made my purchase I had actually signed up for a monthly automatic shipment program. That was not clear to me during the checkout process. However, the number to call and cancel was clearly listed in the confirmation email and their customer service was excellent when I called.

The product was well packaged in an attractive box and arrived promptly. The individual containers are attractive and the product appeared to be in good condition. I’m using the product with my two year old daughter who has suspected Childhood Apraxia of Speech. I found that if I mix about half to 2/3 scoop (vanilla flavor) in with 4 ounces of yogurt, my daughter will eat it with no problem. Depending on how often she eats yogurt in a day she’ll get anywhere from half a scoop of NutriiVeda a day to two scoops per day. We’ve been using the product for about a week. At only one week, I cannot claim that I see clear signs of improvement in her speech that I definitely attribute to use of the NutriiVeda product. However, we haven’t been using it very long. I will update in the future. The product has a nice side benefit of adding a nutritional boost to the diet of a very picky two year old, so in that way it is a win either way.

Two-week Update: About two weeks into using NutriiVeda (average of one scoop daily) I feel like I am seeing definite improvement. We are hearing a lot more talking. She's even attempting to sing. She is listening to her own speech and self-correcting which we had never seen her do before. Could it be coincidence? Of course. Until someone completes a double-blind scientific study we won't have hard evidence. For now all we have is parent report. I'm reporting that I feel like I'm seeing improvements that I wasn't seeing before starting to give her NutriiVeda.

Six-week Update: At about six weeks after starting to supplement Ava with NutriiVeda we are giving her about 1.5 scoops a day on average. I believe that she is speaking much more often, her sentences are longer, and she is trying to string several sentences together to tell a single story. She has also learned a new sound (/f/) and some other new sounds are starting to emerge. She is occasionally putting a consonant at the end of some of her words (the /p/ at the end of "up" for example). All of this is new. As before, there is certainly no proof that these improvements are due to the NutriiVeda and wouldn't be happening anyway, but the coincidence is interesting and I'm not complaining. We will be continuing to use NutriiVeda in our household.

Are there other supplements that might help with Childhood Apraxia of Speech?

There is some evidence that supplementation with Omega-3 fatty acids can be helpful for children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. You can read my Information and Resources page on Omega-3 fish oil supplementation for Childhood Apraxia of Speech here.

Omega-3 Fish Oil for Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Information and Resources

What are Omega-3 fatty acids?

Omega-3 fatty acids are molecules that are necessary for human health but cannot be produced by our bodies. They have to be obtained through our food. They are most commonly found in fish and some nuts. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to brain function and play an important role in growth and development. There are several types of Omega-3 fatty acids, but most research indicates that EPA and DHA have better established health benefits and these types are found in fish oil rather than in nut oils.

Here are a couple of web pages that discuss the general health benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids.

• Omega-3 fatty acids: This article defines Omega-3 fatty acids, discusses their health benefits, gives some dosing guidelines, and discusses precautions and interactions.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Fact Sheet: This WebMD article discusses the basics, benefits, types, food sources, and supplements.

What does Omega-3 Fish Oil supplementation have to do with Childhood Apraxia of Speech?

Many parents of children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech first encounter the idea of supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acids in The Late Talker book. That book devotes an entire chapter to the topic. Most of the evidence is anecdotal. Some families have seen dramatic improvement after a plateau when adding Omega-3 fish oil supplementation was the only change. Given that there is evidence of general health benefits, few drawbacks, and the possibility of helping a child communicate better, many parents choose to try it.

There is some preliminary scientific evidence that Omega-3 supplementation does help with related disorders like dyspraxia (neurological motor planning disorder of the limbs) and autism.

Here are a few resources that discuss Omega-3 supplementation and Childhood Apraxia (or related conditions).

• Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and ADHD – Can Nutrition Help?: This article is in .pdf form. It nicely summarizes some of the actual research out there on fish oil supplementation and disorders. Note that none of these studies are actually about children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. These are studies with related disorders including dyspraxia.
• Therapeutic Use of Fish Oil for Apraxia, Autism and Other Communication Impairments: This article is structured like a FAQ covering topics like dosage, brand, and tips for getting your child to take the supplement among other topics.
• Syndrome of Allergy, Apraxia, and Malabsorption: Characterization of a Neurodevelopmental Phenotype that Responds to Omega 3 and Vitamin E Supplementation: This is a research article published in the Journal of Alternative Therapies in 2009 (also a .pdf). This study was conducted with children diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. However, this research study did not have a control group, so although as a parent I am encouraged and interested, as an SLP I am still not convinced.
• Scientists Characterizes New Syndrome of Allergy, Apraxia, Malabsorption : This is a science news article about the Journal of Alternative Therapies study. It summarizes and discusses the results of the study.
• The Omega Wave This is a pretty interesting BBC news article on fish oil supplementation and learning disabilities, but it is just a news article, not a research article.

Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplementation for Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Review of Product Purchase and Impressions

After carefully reading the chapter in the The Late Talker book and all of the articles referenced above we decided to purchase the Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega Liquid. The Nordic Naturals brand has a great reputation for quality and we wanted the product in the most concentrated form possible given that we weren’t sure how well our two year old daughter would take it. This product also has a blend of the different types of Omega-3 fatty acids and we wanted that as well in order to get the closest possible approximation to the therapeutic doses described in the book and articles.

The product is lemon flavored and does not smell or taste fishy at all. I have been very pleased with the quality of the product. I suppose you could try to give it to your child straight off a spoon or medicine dosing cup, but we’ve never tried that. If the product starts to smell or taste fishy, it has spoiled. After doing some research, we decided to store our bottle in the freezer to extend its shelf life.

We mix the Omega-3 supplement in with about two ounces of yogurt. At first we bought lemon yogurt, but when we ran out we tried random flavors and they all seem to work. We’ve also mixed it in with yogurt drinks and that has worked as well. I simply use a medicine dispenser I borrowed from an infant ibuprofen bottle to measure the right dosage and then squirt it into the yogurt. Stir and serve.

Is Omega-3 Supplementation working to help our daughter’s Childhood Apraxia of Speech?

To be honest, I cannot tell if the Omega-3 supplementation is helping for us. We started the supplementation and intensive therapy in the same week so it is impossible to tell if the improvement we have seen is due to the Omega-3 supplement, the therapy, or a combination of both. I can say that I have not really noticed any kind of regression when we miss her nightly dose several nights in a row for some reason. However, given the general health benefits and the possibility that it is helping in a subtle way I am certainly not going to stop using the product.

Are there other supplements that might help with Childhood Apraxia of Speech?

Many parents are anecdotally reporting improvement in their child's speech when using a meal replacement supplement called NutriiVeda. You can read my Information and Resources page on NutriiVeda for Childhood Apraxia of Speech here.