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From: Henny Bijleveld
Date: 10/11/01
Time: 2:31:13 AM
Remote Name: 164.15.7.112
Having read your message, several thoughts come up in my mind. First of all, can you locate exactly, the anurism the child suffered (is there a medical dossier?). Secondly, a child that can do function the two halves of the brain, but cannot connect the two has a "split brain". Luria has written a wonderful book on "the split brain" patients. You may know that you can chirurgically cut the "corpus collasum" in order to prevent from epilepsy. This is not done any more , I think. Luria could give you a lot of information. Then you say that the child is alwys in motion. Do you mean that the child is hyperactive? Hyperactivity is one aspect I discover when I ask the parents to describe the child at home. Thus it might be one of the concomitant aspects of stuttering (high motor activity). On the other hand hyperactivity is one of the elements of another neurologic syndrome ; "Gilles de la Tourette syndrome". A child with this affection, shows a very high muscle, motor activity with repetitive behaviour: it can not stop doing thing. After the behavioral tics, the child can stutter and can speak "coprolalia"( bad words, sexual words) that he can not avoid. If you can rule out the Gille de la Tourette syndrome, your child could show the moter hyper activity and the stuttering, as a consequence of the brain damage . It is therefor important to know the localization of the brain damage. Psychomotoric exercices and swimming might bring him relief. As to his lack of confiance, this is probably the consequence of his/her conscience of the situation.You can help him a lot, if you have a relationship based on mutual confidence. I think you do well in taking your time for the child. You can diminish the linguistical burden by shorten your sentences and by not asking too many questions, that always need a more complex answer, if it is not "yes or no". Do you work on the hyperactivity with this child? Please let me know .. Henny Bijleveld.