Expert: James Michael Roan - 9/22/2006

Question
May we ask what your credentials are??  I can't find that on this web site so far.

Thanks again!

Kim & Mark
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Followup To

Question -
No, he doesn't have neither of those.  He has no problem with the activities described other than speech.  He actually has exceptional balance when running, jumping, etc and very good instincts when it comes to situations that he could be hurt in.  For instance, last christmas, my husband let him get on the roof with him while he hung lights.  Of course, Jake often indicates he wants to do it again and will climb half way up the ladder but will not go further until his daddy is with him.  He does this in other similiar situations.  I've read about some children with autism having a sort od flaccidity of the muscles around the mouth.  Could this be the case and how would I find out for sure?
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Followup To

Question -
Jake is considered high functioning.  He potty trained himself by age 3 1/2yrs.  He does alot of things other kids his age do, especially over the past year.  Recently, literally overnight, he started showing much interest in our cat and dogs, of which the previous day he was terrified.  This January, we bought him a four wheeler and it took him one short afternoon to learn how to operate it.  He pointed out a little girl at school this morning that they tell me he holds hands with and tried to say tell me her name.  His main problem, of course is speech and social skills as well as his tolerance for anything that frustrates him, which I know is hallmark.  But he does try very hard to communicate, although I feel he is much lazier about it at home, as I am sure most kids are.  

Thanks for your quick reply.

Kim & Mark Weathers-------------------------

Followup To

Question -
My son, Jkae, will be 12 in December.  He has a limited vocabulary but is able to make his needs known.  I would have to estimate that he has about a 200-300 word vacabulary.  I may be overestimating.  

Can you tell of any other children his age whose speech improved more as they got into their teens?

Answer -
Hi Kim and Mark;

Is your son on the autism spectrum? If so, how high functioning is he? Typically for children that are on the high functioning end of the spectrum, communication increases during adolescence for multiple reasons.

Please provide me with as much information as you can.

Kind Regards,
James

Answer -
Hi Kim and Mark;

Sounds like he's coming along quickly at the moment. For social competence and friendship making/keeping skills curricula, take a look at Tony Attwood's web page. He's expert in this area. Michelle Garcia-Winner's web page has similar resources. Tony Attwood has some excellent and inexpensive CDs for anger management and anxiety management that are validated in the professional research literature. They use cognitive behavioral therapy, which is the treatment approach of choice.

Does he have ataxia or apraxia? They're different from one another. Apraxia is difficulty with the fluid execution of a sequence of actions as is necessary for walking quickly, running, and speech production. It requires special therapy from a speech and language pathologist or an occupational therapist trained in this area.

Kind Regards,
James



Answer -
Hi Kim and Mark;

Yes, oral hypotonia or low muscle tone of the oral motor areas can definitely impair andor prevent speech production. He should have a complete oral motor evaluation by a speech pathologist skilled in this area and one who can rule out oral apraxia as well.

Kind regards,
James

Answer
Hi Kim and Mark;

No problem. I am a certified psychologist and counselor licensed in the state of Washington State.

I am an independent consultant in the areas of autism and Asperger's Syndrome and have performed diagnostic and consulting services to parents, schools, and solicitors (attorneys) in the Republic of Ireland for the past ten years.

I am Director of Clinical Services of a global online special needs service organization.

I am a parent and grandparent, which supercedes my previously stated credentials!

Kind Regards,
James